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Last updated: Jun 20, 2023 at 4:14 PM IST
By not accepting the prize money of Rs 1 crore, Krishna Kumar Kimka, Trustee of the Board of Trustees of Geeta Press, said the Gorakhpur-based publication is following a 100-year tradition. (photo: gitapress.org)
Responding to Congress Leader Jairam Ramesh’s statement, Krishna Kumar Kimka said Geeta Press had distanced itself from controversies, and had nothing to do with politics.
Amid controversy over the 2021 Gandhi Peace Prize being awarded to Uttar Pradesh-based Gita Press, the curator of the publication, in an exclusive interview with News18, said that he accepted the honor and thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Prime Minister Yogi Adityanath for it, but he could not. t accept prize money.
Krishna Kumar Kimka, Gita Press Board Secretary told News18, “Even if you add another 2 zeros to the 1 crore (prize money), we will not accept the amount. (Although) the development of the organization continues.”
He told Khemka News18 that the Gorakhpur-based publication follows the tradition of the past 100 years. “According to the standards set by our great men, we should not accept any kind of economic assistance,” said Kimka.
The Gita Press award caused a backlash, with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh saying that awarding the Gandhi Peace Prize to the publication is like honoring VD Savarkar and Nathuram Godse.
Responding to Ramesh’s statement, Khimka said that Geeta Press had distanced itself from controversies and had nothing to do with politics. “While traversing the path of spirituality, we wish to make sanatans walk the path of dharma. We don’t care what someone says. We are not interested in getting into a verbal duel with such people,” Khimka added.
Spread of spirituality
With the aim of spreading spirituality, and “fulfilling the love of the Supreme Being for the people,” Khemka said, Gita Press publishes and translates materials in 15 languages, including Urdu.
When asked why these books were translated into Urdu, Khimka said that the press believes that “Shrimad Bhagwat” does not belong to a particular community, but is for the welfare of the people. “This is a unique message. We have tried to translate it into as many languages as possible. We are trying to write this text in different languages of the world,” he added.
100 years of Gita Press
Khemka said that the government honors everyone who contributed to building society. Gita Press also organizes several programs to celebrate its centenary in which CM Yogi Adityanath, the Governor and President has already attended one such event. Prime Minister Modi will also be invited to visit Gorakhpur on this occasion.
93 crore books have already been published
Khemka said that Gita Press has published around 93 crores books in the last 100 years, distributed all over the world. “We do believe in God. We hope to follow the path He showed and follow the values of our great men. This is what we seek.”
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