The ‘Hunar Haat‘, the BJP-led NDA government’s effort to reach out to minorities by providing artisans from the communities an international platform to market their skills, was inaugurated here today with 184 artisans partaking in it.
Union Ministers Piyush Goyal, MJ Akbar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi inaugurated the Haat, organised at India International Trade Fair (2016) at Pragati Maidan by Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Naqvi said the Haat is aimed at promoting and supporting artisans from Minority communities and providing them domestic as well as international market for displaying and selling their products. Speaking on the occasion, Goyal lauded the exhibition, saying it is an “outstanding” display of traditional Indian art and handicrafts.
“Preserving the rich traditional and culture of our artisans is our duty,” an official statement quoted Goyal as saying during the inaugural event. On his part, Akbar stated “art of living has joined art of livelihood” through the exhibition.
Artefacts made of cane and bamboo (from north-eastern states); cloth and embroidery chikan, brass artefacts, Jardoji clothe work (Uttar Pradesh); collection of pottery (southern states); sandalwood and other wooden artefacts and handicrafts (Bihar-Jharkhand); indigenous goods for domestic use from Bengal-Odisha and herbal products made from aloe vera, neem, tulsi, etc are being showcased at the exhibition.
The Haat also has on display other arts/crafts like marble work from Rajasthan; handicrafts from Gujarat and Pashmina and bronze work from Kashmir. Besides, Ayurvedic and Unani healthcare, glass artefacts and Indian silk-cotton work will also be a part of the exhibition.
The Ministry has arranged 100 stalls for the artisans at hall number 14 of Pragati Maidan free of cost. To make it convenient for the artisans coming from remote areas of the country, the Ministry has also arranged for their transportation and will also pay for their daily expenses.
For the exhibition, being organised by National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation Limited (NMDFC) under its Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development scheme, the Ministry had received a total of 740 applications, out of which the aforesaid number of artisans have been shortlisted.