Indigenous crafts will be promoted at global level: CM

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Nov 26: Saying Assam has a lot of potential in indigenous crafts and it needs to be highlighted at the global level to bring benefits to the craftsmen and project Assam’s culture to the global audience, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal today said that the government is mulling various steps in this regard.

While meeting a group of craftsmen from Ukhrul district, Manipur at Bramhaputra State Guest House today Chief Minister Sonowal made the observation that Assam’s traditiol crafts should be marketed properly for deriving maximum economic benefits to the people involved. Reiterating that there are many artisans and craftsmen in most interior of villages, Sonowal said that the government is planning to connect production with the markets where there is a lot of demand for craft items. For this purpose “Indigenous Crafts Melas” are going to be organized at different parts of the State so that the talented craftsmen from rural areas of the entire Northeast can be given exposure and their products can attract interest from prospective buyers.  Highlighting the need to explore newer avenues of economic benefits to the people, Chief Minister said that people should opt for cultivating medicil plants for reaping higher dividends.      

The Chief Minister also said adequate steps would be taken to enhance the skills of the traditiol craftsmen so that the artisans can take advantage of modern technology to upgrade their skills. Skill Development Centres would also help create a skilled workforce that would bring positive change to economic scerio of the state. Saying that this would help in realizing Prime Minister’s great vision for encouraging entrepreneurship and employment generation, Sonowal underlined the importance of facilitating traditiol crafts for creating a self-sustaible rural economy.