Governor launches 150 new craft souvenirs of Manipur
Source: IT News / DIPR

Imphal, September 14 2019: Governor Dr.Najma Heptulla launched 150 New Craft Souvenirs of Manipur designed under MEETAC at Darbar Hall, Raj Bhavan, Imphal, today.

The launching ceremony of Innovative Crafts Souvenirs of Manipur, Craft Map of Manipur and MEETAC Website was organized by Mission for Economic Empowerment of Traditional Artisans & Craftsmen (MEETAC) in collaboration with National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad.

Addressing the gathering as Chief Guest of the ceremony, Governor Dr.Najma Heptulla said that the launching of the 'Innovative Craft Souvenirs of Manipur', Craft Map of Manipur and Mission for Economic Empowerment of Traditional Artisans & Craftsmen (MEETAC) Website will help the artisans and craftsmen to expand their existing range of products by utilizing local resources and skills.

It will be instrumental in creating a brand for Manipur and in turn for MEETAC, under whose name these Souvenirs would be marketed.

Governor launches 150 new craft souvenirs of Manipur

Governor said that there is no match for the rich arts and culture of the State and is yet to get its due recognition in the global scenario.

They have set a bench mark of quality and excellence that is quintessentially Indian.

The skills of our artisans are living symbols of self-reliance and exemplify our heritage of creativity, aesthetics and craftsmanship.

As a highly decentralized activity, the handicrafts and handloom industry of the State is a shining example of using local resources and skills, she added.

She further added that the handicraft and handloom sector in the State is un-organized and the market potential of the State's crafts has not been tapped properly, particularly outside the State in spite of its importance to the economy.

MEETAC along with its Knowledge Partners has been working with Artisans at the village and cluster level in order to bring diversified and trendy designs which are more acceptable in other States and countries and also by the young generation, she added.

Governor said under the expert guidance of NID, Ahmedabad, MEETAC has developed a new chain of Craft Souvenirs of Manipur and about 150 new Souvenir designs for 7 (seven) Traditional Crafts have been developed by the Artisans from various Districts namely Imphal, Senapati, Kamjong, Churachandpur, Tamenglong, Noney, Tengnoupal and Ukhrul.

Stating that the State has developed the Craft Map of Manipur for the first time in the history of Manipur, Governor said, it is an important step in the direction towards preserving our crafts and cultural heritage.

On developing the website www.meetac.mn.gov.in, Governor said that the Website will be a platform for the local artisans to get up-to-date knowledge about the new market trends and new initiatives of MEETAC for their development.

Textiles, Commerce & Industries Minister Th.Biswajit Singh, who is also the Chairman of MEETAC, said that even if the state has enough resources, there is lack of initiatives and policies resulting in lag of development of the State.

Lauding the effort of NID and MEETAC in providing training to the artisans and craftsmen of the state, the Minister said that the release of the souvenir enables us to know of the skills of the artisans and the craftsmen from different parts of the State.

He added that available resources should be utilized in creating products which will have international market.

The Minister also added that the launching of the souvenir will create another atmosphere not only in Manipur but also in other parts of the country to acknowledge the skill of the artisans and craftsmen.

It will improve the economy and livelihood of the people, he added.

It is worth mentioning that MEETAC is the new initiative of the Government of Manipur, established on 29th December, 2017 as an autonomous Society under the Department of Textiles, Commerce & Industries, Government of Manipur.

MEETAC was formally launched on 1st September, 2018.MEETAC is making sustained efforts to provide unified access to the Traditional Artisans of Hills and Valley of Manipur for design development of their crafts/arts as per global standards, training and entrepreneurship development in order to increase the market demand of their products and achieve better economic valuation.

Governor Dr.Najma Heptulla along with Minister Th.Biswajit unveiled the Craft Map and launched the Innovative Craft Souvenir of Manipur and the official website of MEETAC.

Certificates were also distributed to the Artisans and Craftsmen from various Districts of the State who took part in the training and skill development programme of MEETAC.

Later the Governor inspected an exhibition showcasing the works of the artisans and craftsmen from different areas of the State.

The launching ceremony was attended by Anurag Bajpai, IFS, CEO (MEETAC), Bindoo Ranjan, Project Head, NID (Ahmedabad), officials and staffs of MEETAC and NID, Ahmedabad, Artisans and local Craft Entrepreneurs.