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Hope to start regular ‘Craft Bazaars’ abroad: ICCR chief
Artisans from Uttar Pradesh as well as other states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan graced the occasion and seven of them displayed of their work in the lobby of the institute.
LUCKNOW President of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations Vinay Sahasrabudhhe said here on Saturday that he would make his best efforts to help start a regular ‘Crafts Bazaar’ in foreign countries, where Indian artisans could showcase their craftsmanship and market their work. He was addressing a seminar at the UP Institute of Design and Research.
A panel discussion was a small part of the three-day-long programme being held by the institute titled ‘Meri Maati, Mera Desh - My Kaarigar, My Pride’, in which Sahasrabuddhe was the chief guest and keynote speaker. He said, “This slogan is much more than words, it is a way to help Indians feel a connection with their culture.”
Sahasrabuddhe also said that in order to hold on to our traditional handicrafts and art forms, we must do a better job of documenting and codifying our arts, and suggested that for local artisans, a certificate of honour from a reputed institute like UPIDR should suffice as a degree when artists search for employment.
Sangit Kumar Ragi, head of the political science department of Delhi University, also a speaker on the panel, said that artistry was a “God given talent.” He pointed out that in the past nine years handicrafts had contributed significantly to the GDP of the nation. He described handicraftsmen as “those who not only give shape and beauty to materials, but to the nation at large.”
Artisans from Uttar Pradesh as well as other states like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan graced the occasion and seven of them displayed of their work in the lobby of the institute. The artisans included Deepak Sankit, Meenakari craftsman from Rajasthan, Mohd Arif Khatri, Bagh print artist from MP, Pyare Lal Maurya, national award winning Panja Dari artist from Varanasi and Hari Om Azad, terracotta sculptor from Gorakhpur, among others.
These artists also got a chance to interact with Sahasrabuddhe and the other panellists. PWD minister Kunwar Brijesh Singh, also a panellist, said that the steady upward climb of the ODOP (One District One Product) scheme was a testament to the level of skill in the artisans of the state.
