The Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019 is being conferred on (Late) His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman. Gandhi Peace Prize is an annual award instituted by Government of India since 1995, the 125^th Birth Anniversary commemoration year of Mahatma Gandhi. The award is open to all persons regardless of nationality, race, language, caste, creed or sex.

The Jury for Gandhi Peace Prize is chaired by Hon’ble Prime Minister, Sh Narendra Modi ,and comprises  of two ex-officio members, namely the Chief Justice of India and  Leader of the single largest Opposition Party in Lok Sabha. Two eminent members are also part of the Jury, namely Shri Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and Shri Bindeshwar Pathak, Founder of Sulabh International Social Service Organisation.

The Jury met on 19^th March, 2021 ,and after due deliberations, unanimously decided to select (Late) H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said Al Said as the recipient of the Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019, in recognition of his outstanding contributions for social, economic and political transformation through non-violent and other Gandhian methods.

The past awardees include luminaries like Dr. Julius Nyerere, Former President of Tanzania; Dr. Gerhard Fischer, Federal Republic of Germany; Ramakrishna Mission; Baba Amte (Shri Murlidhar Devidas Amte); Late Dr. Nelson Mandela, former President of South Africa; Grameen Bank of Bangladesh; Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa; Shri Chandi Prasad Bhatt & Indian Space Research Organisation. Recent awardees include Vivekananda Kendra, India (2015); Akshaya Patra Foundation, India and Sulabh International (Jointly, for 2016); Ekal Abhiyan Trust, India(2017) and Shri Yohei Sasakawa, Japan(2018).

The award carries an amount of Rs. 1 crore, a citation, a plaque and an exquisite traditional handicraft/ handloom item.

His Majesty Sultan Qaboos was a visionary leader whose twin policy of moderation and mediation in addressing international issues won him praise and respect across the globe. He played an important role in supporting peace efforts in various regional disputes and conflicts. H.M. Sultan Qaboos was the architect of the special ties between India and Oman. He had studied in India and always maintained a special relationship with India.  Under his leadership, India and Oman became strategic partners and our mutually beneficial, comprehensive partnership strengthened and scaled newer heights.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had recalled the contribution of H.M. Sultan Qaboos to India-Oman ties when he passed away ,by saying that he was “a true friend of India and provided strong leadership for developing a strategic partnership between India and Oman”. Prime Minister had also remembered him as “visionary leader and statesman” and a “beacon of peace for our region and the world.”

Gandhi Peace Prize recognizes the unparalleled vision and leadership of the Late H.M. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said in strengthening relations between India and Oman, and his efforts to promote peace and non-violence in the Gulf region.

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NB/SK/UD