Gita Press on June 19 said that the decision of the jury of the Gandhi Peace Prize to confer the award to the publishers was a “matter of great honour” but specified that the organistation would not accept the cash component of the award keeping with its tradition of not receiving any kind of donation.
The trustee board of the Press met in Gorakhpur late on June 18 after the award was announced and decided not to receive the cash component of ₹1 crore. The publisher thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Culture Ministry for conferring the prestigious award on it. The recipients of the Gandhi Peace Prize get ₹1 crore, a citation, a plaque, and an exquisite traditional handicraft or handloom item.
“It is a matter of great honour for us. It is our principle not to accept any kind of donations, so the trustee board has decided not to take the award in any monetary form. However, we will certainly accept the award for the honour of it,” Gita Press manager Lalmani Tripathi said.
