Ashok Sahu, the founder of Vipassana Meditation Centre & managing partner of HL Agro Products have made Kanpur proud by winning India’s fourth largest civilian honour Padma Shri for nurturing and promoting the indigenous Art of Living meditation & contributing to the community welfare. As per the notification issued by the Union Home Ministry, he was adjudged for his exceptional & distinguished services in the field of medicine and meditation. He is the chief trustee of International Dhamma Kalyana Meditation Centre situated on the outskirts of Kanpur city.
The recipients for the Padma Awards were announced on January 25, ahead of Republic Day 2021. A proponent of Vipassana meditation, Mr. Ashok Sahu, an Economics post-graduate from PPN Degree College has been active in social work ever since he joined his family business. His passion bore fruit with the creation of Vipassana Meditation Centre in the year 2010. The charitable meditation centre imparts meditation and self-discipline techniques in 47 different languages and helps people to come across stress & violent tendencies.
Ashok Sahu has been making people understand the value of living and empowering them to combat the universal ills of anger, stress, depression & addiction. He has transformed the centre into an international transcendental meditation centre continuously upgrading it with the best-in-class facilities & latest technology to facilitate the induction and sessions of Vipassana seekers from different countries. Over 16,000 people from countries like the USA, Japan, China, Austria, Denmark, Iran, Russia etc… have drawn distinct psychological benefits from these therapies so far.
Explaining the scale & inclusivity of this practice, he said, “Buddha never taught a sectarian religion, he taught dhamma- the way to liberation – which is universal and presented his teachings open to people of all faiths or no faith. Liberation in this context means freedom from impurities of the mind and, as a result, freedom from suffering.”
International Dhamma Kalyan Meditation centre has earned special accolades from President Shree Ram Nath Kovind & UP Chief Minister Yogi Aditya Nath. Sahu was lauded for his noble vision and yeoman services during their visit to the centre last year.
Sahu, feels honoured to have been chosen for the Padma Shri. Speaking on the occasion, he said, “Awards like these encourage and give responsibility to us to do even better. I am happy that years of my work in this oldest Buddhist meditation has been recognized. I see it as an achievement for the growth of Vipassana and hope this would mean more thrust would be placed on the promotion of this unique science for mental peace, dynamism and personal wellness.” “I have always felt that such an honour though awarded to an individual is a recognition of teamwork. In my case, this is an honour for the great work is done by the entire team at the Dhamma Kalyana Centre, Kanpur,” he added.
The Padma Awards are the highest civilian awards in the country and comprise of three categories based on the scale of the awardee’s achievement – the highest being Padma Vibhushan, followed by Padma Bhushan, and lastly, Padma Shri. The Padma Vibhushan awards were conferred to 7 awardees, the Padam Bhushan to 10 and the Padma Shri awards was conferred to 102 awardees this year.
Ashok Sahu hails from a joint business family of Kanpur. In addition to this indigenous meditation centre, he is also the co-founder of HL Agro Products Pvt. Ltd, the agri-food processing company for sesame seeds, starch & corn products.
For more information on the International Dhamma Kalyana Meditation Centre, Kanpur, please visit: http://www.dhammakalyana.org/
About H.L. Agro Products: HL Agro Products Pvt. Ltd is the flagbearer of six decades old HL Group of companies headquartered in Kanpur, India. HL Agro Products Pvt. Ltd. is a BRC & ISO22000:2005 certified industrial entity and the noted exporter of sesame seeds, starch & corn derivatives in India.
Winner of the “Agri-Company of the Year” at the 2019 News Corp VCCircle awards, HL Agro Products has earned special accolades for its contribution to the agricultural economy & efforts towards enhancing the market share of the oilseeds & corn starch commodities at the national and global levels.
The processing units at HL Agro are fully automated and well equipped with state-of-the art technology, imported machinery making it truly the 21st century in its accomplishment. Built on the norms of Good Manufacturing Practices & HACCP guidelines, the plants are capable of processing 22000 MT sesame seeds annually & grinding 300 MT corn daily. Accreditation to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), BRC Food Safety, ISO: 220005, India Organic, USFDA, Kosher, Halal and Export Promotion Council makes HL Agro Products reliable processors & exporters of sesame & starch commodities globally. HL Agro now endeavours to burgeon globally by elevating its production capacity and augmenting the starch portfolio with an array of Malto-Dextrin, Dextrose Monohydrate, Sorbitol, and High-Maltose Corn Syrup amongst others.