Union Minister for Minority Affairs inaugurates 33rd edition of Hunar Haat in New Delhi

Inaugurating the 33rd edition of Hunar Haat, being organised at India International Trade Fair, Pragati Maidan in New Delhi today, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that during the Corona crisis, indigenous production capacity fulfilled the domestic needs and became “safety cover” for Indian economy during the global recession.

This is the 33rd “Hunar Haat” in the series of on-going “Hunar Haats” across the country. More than 550 artisans and craftsmen from more than 30 States/UTs are participating in the “Hunar Haat”, being organized at Hall No 3, Pragati Maidan from 14th to 27th November 2021. With 300 stalls, this is the largest participation by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs in India International Trade Fair this year.  Canara Bank has set up a stall in the “Hunar Haat” to provide easy loans to artisans and craftsmen for employment and self-employment.

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s “mantra” of “Vocal for Local” has become a “mass movement” to enhance the vision of “Swadeshi to Swavlamban,” according to Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Shri John Barla, Ambassador of Iran to India Dr Ali Chegeni, Ambassador of Kuwait to India Shri Jasem Ibrahem Al Najem, Secretary, Union Minority Affairs Ministry Smt. Renuka Kumar and other senior officials were present on the occasion.

Shri Naqvi stated that the country, which formerly relied on foreign imports for food grains, has now not only become self-sufficient in food grain production, but is also exporting food grains to all corners of the globe. The hard work of our “Anndatas” and the government’s attempts to ensure “Aatmanirbhar Krishi Aur Krishak” have resulted in India’s food grain self-sufficiency.

According to him, India has become a significant pharmacy centre. Within a year of the Corona pandemic, India demonstrated to the rest of the world the capability and strength of our country’s indigenous production by developing “Made in India” Corona vaccines, medical equipment, and other indigenous life-saving medicines to ensure the people’s health and well-being.

The Minister said that India’s traditional and ancestral legacy of handloom-handicraft has been promoted by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s “mantra” of “Vocal for Local” and “Swadeshi”. The “Hunar Haat” has not only made the artisans and craftsmen self-reliant, but it has also strengthened the commitment to “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

Shri Naqvi said that “Hunar Haat” virtual and online platform http://hunarhaat.org and GeM portal, better marketing linkages, new designs, better packaging, training and credit linkages have opened enormous opportunities for economic empowerment of artisans and craftsmen. More than 6 lakh 75 thousand artisans, craftsmen and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities through “Hunar Haat” in the last about 6 years.

Exquisite and elegant indigenous handmade products from Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Ladakh, Jammu-Kashmir, Punjab, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Delhi, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Manipur, Goa, Puducherry, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Chandigarh, Haryana etc are available for sale and display.

Various cultural and musical programmes of renowned artists are being organised by “Hunar Haat” in an open auditorium at Pragati Maidan every day. The visitors will also enjoy “Circus” at “Hunar Haat” where the Indian Circus artists will perform spectacular diverse traditional entertainment shows.

Earlier, “Hunar Haats” have been organized at various places in the country including Delhi, Mumbai, Prayagraj, Lucknow, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Puducherry, Bhopal, Indore, Ranchi, Mysuru, Panaji, Dehradun, Vrindavan and Rampur.

Also read: NSN Weekly round-up on skills, education and training- 16112021 https://nationalskillsnetwork.in/nsn-weekly-round-up-on-skills-education-and-training-16112021/

The next “Hunar Haats” will be organised at Hyderabad (26 November to 5 December), Surat (10 to 19 December), JLN Stadium, New Delhi (22 December 2021 to 2 January 2022). “Hunar Haats” will also be organised in Mysuru, Guwahati, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Patna, Puducherry, Mumbai, Jammu, Chennai, Chandigarh, Agra, Prayagraj, Goa, Jaipur, Bengaluru, Kota, Sikkim, Srinagar, Leh, Shillong, Ranchi, Agartala and other places in the coming days.