Governor launches 150 new craft souvenirs
Source: The Sangai Express / DIPR
Imphal, September 14 2019:
Governor Dr Najma Heptulla launched 150 new craft sou-venirs of Manipur, designed under MEETAC, at the Darbar Hall of Raj Bhavan, 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 the 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 artisans and craftsmen to expand their 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, she added.
The Governor said that there is no match for the rich arts and culture of the State and it is yet to get its due recognition in the global scenario.
They have set a benchmark of quality and excellence that is quintessentially Indian.
"The skills of our artisans are living symbol of self-reliance and exemplify our heritage of creativity, aesthetics and craftsmanship.
As a highly decentralized activity, the handicraft 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 unorganized 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 levels 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.
The Governor said that under the expert guidance of NID, Ahmedabad, MEETAC has developed a new chain of craft souvenirs of Manipur and about 150 new souvenir designs 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 the State, the Governor said that it is an important step in the direction towards preserving the crafts and cultural heritage.
On developing the website www.meetac.mn.gov.in, the Governor said that the website will be a platform for 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.
Lauding the efforts of NID and MEETAC in providing training to artisans and craftsmen of the State, the Minister said that the release of the souvenirs enables all to know about 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 values.
The Minister also added that the launching of the souvenirs 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 was established on December 29, 2017 as an autonomous society under the Department of Textiles, Commerce & Industries, Government of Manipur.
MEETAC was formally launched on September 1 last year and it 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 of the works of 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.
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