Union Minister Naqvi inaugurates 'Hunar Haat' at Trade Fair in Delhi

Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Friday said that 'Hunar Haats' organised by the Minority Affairs Ministry have become hubs for encouraging and promoting traditional master artisans and craftsmen from across the country.

The Minority Affairs minister made the remarks while formally inaugurating the 'Hunar Haat', being organised from November 14-27 at the India International Trade Fair in Pragati Maidan. Naqvi said, on one hand, lakhs of people visit 'Hunar Haat' which encourages artisans and on the other, business worth crores of rupees takes place from handmade rare exquisite products of master artisans and craftsmen.

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Besides these master artisans, about 100 people associated with each of these artisans have also been receiving employment opportunities, he said. All the 'Hunar Haats' to be organised in 2019 and 2020 will be based on the theme of "Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat", Naqvi said.

The next 'Hunar Haat' will be organised in Mumbai from December 20-31, he said. Master artisans and craftsmen, including women artisans, from almost all the states of the country are participating in the 'Hunar Haat' being organised at Pragati Maidan here. Naqvi said the Ministry of Minority Affairs has been working on a war-footing to establish 'Hunar Hubs' in every statein the next five years to train and encourage indigenous talent of master artisans and craftsmen according to the need of the markets.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs has sanctioned 100 'Hunar Hubs' in different parts of the country in the first 100 days of the Modi government 2.0, he said. Training will be provided to master artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts according to modern needs in these 'Hunar Hubs', he said..' Hunar Haat' has proved to be an "empowerment exchange for master artisans and craftsmen, the minister said.

In the 'Hunar Haat' at Pragati Maidan, the artisans are showcasing exquisite pieces of handicrafts and handloom work like batik, bagh print, bandhej, barmer applique, cane and bamboo, carpets, chanderi, chikankari, copper bell products, Dhakai silk, among other items from across the country.

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Secretary Minority Affairs Ministry Pramod Kumar Das and other senior officials were also present on the occasion. More than 2,50,000 master artisans, craftsmen and culinary experts have been provided employment and employment opportunities in the last three years, the minister said.

The Modi government will provide employment and employment opportunities to lakhs of artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts through the 'Hunar Haat' in the next 5 years, Naqvi said. In the coming days, 'Hunar Haat' will be organised in Gurugram, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Dehradun, Patna, Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Raipur, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Jammu, Shimla, Goa, Kochi, Guwahati, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Ajmer and other places. 

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