Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Shri Dharmendra Pradhan today inaugurated the 29th“HunarHaat” at Rampur, Uttar Pradesh in the august presence of Union Minister for Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal.

Speaking on the occasion, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that each and every house of our country has skilled people. There is a need to provide branding and market-opportunities to their skills and “Hunar Haat” is playing an important role in this regard. “Hunar Haat” is also available on GeM (Government e Marketplace) which will provide large scale national as well as international markets to indigenous products of artisans and craftsmen.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan said that each and every village of the country has a number of “Vishwakarma” and “Hunar Haat” has provided a credible platform for their talent. He said that “New Education Policy” of the Government gives emphasis on “Padhayi Bhi aur Kamai Bhi”. Union Education Ministry and Union Minority Affairs Ministry will work together to provide education as well as skill development training to children of artisans and craftsmen.

In his address, Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal said that God has given art and skill in the hands of artisans and craftsmen of "Hunar Haat". "Hunar Haat" is the most beautiful platform to strengthen Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's campaign of “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” and "Vocal for Local". “Hunar Haat” in Rampur will prove to be a milestone in taking forward the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” campaign.

Addressing the function Shri Naqvi said that “Hunar Haat” has become a “credible platform” to strengthen Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s call for “Swadeshi-Swavlamban” and “Vocal for Local” and providing market to indigenous products of traditional artisans and craftsmen.

Shri Naqvi said that a target has been set to provide employment and employment opportunities to 7 lakh 50 thousand artisans, craftsmen and people associated with them through 75 “Hunar Haats” being organised under “Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav”.

Union Ministry for Minority Affairs is organising “Hunar Haat” in Rampur, UP from 16th to 25th October, 2021 as a part of series of 75 "Hunar Haat", to be organised across the country under "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" to celebrate 75 years of India’s Independence. 

“Vishwakarma Vatika” will also be an attraction in “Hunar Haats”, to promote and preserve precious traditional skills of artisans and craftsmen where they will also be displaying live how India’s traditional exquisite and elegant indigenous handmade products are made. The first such “Vishwakarma Vatika” has been set up in “Hunar Haat” at Rampur to protect, preserve and promote India’s glorious legacy of centuries-old skills and craftsmanship. Proficient craftsmen, sculptors, stonemasons, blacksmiths, carpenters, potter and other artisans from across the country, will give live demonstration of hundreds of India’s traditional art and craft at one place in these "Vishwakarma Vatika".

Besides "Vocal for Local", "Hunar Haats" are also based on the theme of "Best from Waste". Exquisite products made from used and discarded items in households such as Plastic, paper, ply, wood, glass, ceramic, jute, cotton, wool as well as banana stems, sugarcane pulp, paddy and wheat straw-stems, husk, Tur, rubber, iron, brass,  etc will be available in “Hunar Haat” for sale and display.

About 700 artisans and craftsmen from more than 30 States and UTs have brought their indigenous products made with wood, brass, bamboo, glass, cloth, paper, clay etc at the “Hunar Haat”, being organised at Numaish Ground, Panwaria in Rampur. The people are also enjoying traditional food from almost every corner of the country under one roof at "Bawarchikhana" section in the "Hunar Haat". Renowned artists will enthral the audience with their musical, cultural programmes in the evening every day at "Hunar Haat" in Rampur.

After Rampur, "Hunar Haat" will be organised at Dehradun (29 October to 7 November), Lucknow (12 to 21 November), Hyderabad (26 November to 5 December), Surat (10 to 19 December), New Delhi (22 December 2021 to 02 January 2022). “Hunar Haat” 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. 

Shri Sanjay Bhatia, MP, Karnal, Haryana, UP Minister Shri Baldev Aulakh, former Haryana Minister Capt. Abhimanyu, Rampur Zila Panchayat Chairman Shri Khayali Ram Lodhi, MLA Smt. Rajbala Singh, Shri Surya Prakash Pal, Chairman Pacfed, other people’s representatives, Secretary, Union Ministry for Minority Affairs Smt. Renuka Kumar and other senior officials of Union Minority Affairs Ministry and the administration were also present.

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N. Ao/(MoMA release)