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Focus on handicrafts

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat presented 29 eminent handicrafts persons with Shilp Guru awards for the years 2003, 2004 and 2005 in recognition of their excellence in the field of handicrafts at a function here on Saturday. Among those awarded was R. Emberumal of Tamil Nadu whose family has been engaged in Kalamkari painting from the time of the Nayak dynasty in Tanjore.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Shekhawat observed that "in India there are good artisans and handicrafts persons but what is needed is that they should be given encouragement".

The awardees, he hoped, would be given an opportunity to train and prepare young persons as future handicrafts experts.

The Vice-President suggested that in every State there should be institutions to train people in various handicrafts disciplines. He also called for organisation of suitable markets for Indian handicrafts considering that these are hugely popular among foreigners.

Mr. Shekhawat said the world market for handicrafts at present was estimated at US $ 2,350 million "of which India's share is only two per cent". Expressing happiness over recent efforts by the Union Ministry of Textiles to promote export of Indian handicrafts, he said a lot still needed to be done for professionally organising our handicrafts persons and ensuring proper export marketing as this would also provide more job opportunities to the people.

Earlier, Union Minister for Textiles Shankersinh Vaghela said Indian handicrafts had made a lot of headway in the international market and India was now on top in the export of carpets. To further augment exports, he said, it was proposed to promote the brand image of Indian handicrafts in the global markets on a sustained basis.

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