New Delhi: Amid the sharp assault by Opposition chief Jairam Ramesh on the Gorakhpur-based Gita Press being accorded the celebrated ‘Gandhi Peace Prize’, one of many trustees of the press has stated that individuals are entitled to say no matter they wish to.
“Jairam Ramesh can say no matter he desires to, we’ll proceed doing our work. We’re an unbiased nation. We will’t management what others are saying. We don’t contain ourselves in any political dialogue,” stated Devi Dayal, one of many trustees, in a dialog with ThePrint.
Gita Press has been conferred the Gandhi Peace Prize 2021 for its “excellent contribution in the direction of social, financial and political transformation via non-violent and different Gandhian strategies”. Nonetheless, the press has declined to just accept the money prize of Rs 1 crore citing its custom of “not receiving any form of donations” and being a “no revenue, no loss” organisation, defined Dayal.
Criticising the choice as a “travesty”, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had Sunday stated in a tweet that it was like “awarding Savarkar and Godse”.
Established in 1923, Gita Press is reportedly one of many world’s largest publishers, having revealed 41.7 crore books in 14 languages, together with 16.21 crore copies of Shrimad Bhagvad Gita. In the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, at the same time as different publishers confronted monetary challenges, Gita Press recorded a large revenue of Rs 77 crore.
The establishment has additionally by no means relied on commercial in its publications for income technology. Dayal attributed this to Mahatma Gandhi.
The friendship between the press and Mahatma Gandhi dates again to 1926, he stated, when the founding father of Kalyan journal, Hanuman Prasad Poddar, met Gandhi and supplied the primary version to him.
“Again then, Gandhiji congratulated Poddar and gave him two options. The primary being that the press shouldn’t settle for any form of commercial, and second that it needs to be apolitical and work for the unfold of sanatan dharam (spiritual obligation),” Dayal stated.
Additionally learn: Gita Press at 100—the cultural powerhouse made Hinduism relatable, inexpensive, moveable
Ram Janmabhoomi and Krishna Bhoomi
In his e book, Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India, journalist turned creator Akshaya Mukul writes that the founding father of Kalyan journal, Poddar would contribute each month to maintain the Ram Janmabhoomi motion alive.
In response to Dayal, Poddar and Gita Press Poddar additionally contributed to the creation of Shri Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura.
“When Poddar went to Mathura, it was in ruins. A tear rolled down his cheek and he ensured that town would turn into Krishan janmabhoomi,” Dayal remembers.
‘Hinduism and Hindutva are one’
Regardless of Gita Press maintaining with the altering occasions and adopting new expertise —investing round Rs 25 crore in equipment from Japan, Germany, and France — it has held on to fundamental traditions of Hinduism. The organisation’s administration doesn’t embrace any people from the Dalit group. Chatting with ThePrint, Ashutosh Upadhyay, the manufacturing supervisor at Gita Press, confirmed that no particular person from the minority group has been employed on the organisation in any capability.
Whereas Gita Press prides itself in spreading sanatan dharam to Indian households, it believes that Hinduism and Hindutva are two sides of the identical coin. “Hinduism and Hindutva are one with totally different names. And Hindustan is clearly a Hindu Rashtra. Wherever Hindus reside will likely be a Hindu Rashtra,” Dayal stated.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Additionally learn: ‘Like awarding Godse’ — Gandhi Peace Prize for Gita Press triggers Congress-BJP slugfest
