SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE AWARD CEREMONY FOR MASTER CRAFTSPERSONS, WEAVERS AND SHILP GURUS FOR THE YEARS 2005 AND 2006

Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi, 15th December 2008

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am, indeed, delighted to be amongst you today. I extend my congratulations and good wishes to the Master Craftspersons, the Master Weavers and Shilp Gurus who have received awards. You have made exceptional contributions to preserving, promoting and enriching the traditional and cultural heritage of our country through your unique and artistic creations.

I am confident that recognition of your innovative and exquisite workmanship will inspire and encourage others to work hard and, thus, bring recognition to artisans and weavers across the country. These awards are an appreciation of the nation for your outstanding quality of work. As a Sanskrit saying goes: -

Which means: -

"Those with good qualities stand out with distinction anywhere in the country".

You have these qualities and there is a demand for your creations around the world. Your creative skills and talent make you the pride of the nation. You are keeping our traditions and craft heritage alive, you strengthen and reinvigorate India and its millennia old civilization. The awards conferred on you today, cast an additional responsibility on all of you, to carry forward this glorious tradition of excellence by disseminating these skills, so that our coming generations can keep this heritage alive.

It is a remarkable fact that every part of India, every State, District and almost every single village has a craft tradition of its own. Working on a variety of raw materials ranging from hard objects like stone and metal to soft sandalwood and clay, our craftpersons create objects of great beauty. Be it the great stone sculptures at Mamallapuram, Ellora or at Konark, the world-famous bronzes of the South or the intricate cane and bamboo objects of our states in the North-East, all of them represent the collective ethos of our civilization. They represent our commitment to excellence and to a higher aesthetic sense that has marked our artistic endeavors down the ages.

Handlooms and handicrafts form a precious part of the generational legacy and exemplify the richness that has been kept alive by professionally skilled weavers and households of artisans. Their products are not only appreciated in India, but are also widely known and sought around the world. The strength of our handicrafts and handloom fabrics lies in the uniqueness and innovation of their designs. This can be seen in a diverse range of products such as: - Kanjivaram of Tamil Nadu, Bandhej of Rajasthan, Kantha and Jamdani of West Bengal, Paithani of Maharashtra, Chanderi of Madhya Pradesh, Pochampalli of Andhra, Benarasi of Uttar Pradesh, Ikkat of Orissa and Muga of Assam.

The role of handicrafts and handlooms for generating income and employment cannot be over emphasized. They provide a livelihood to more than 12 million people in our country and play a prominent role in the economy. These two sectors have enormous potential for providing gainful employment for a large number of crafts persons, weavers and entrepreneurs in rural, semi-rural and urban areas and for generating income including through exports.

While traditional methods of making these products are to be respected and preserved, the new challenges as well as the opportunities thrown upon by globalization must also be recognized. We have to adapt to the changes that are taking place not only within the country but also globally. Modernization in weaving technology, improvement of designs and patterns, up-gradation of skills to ensure quality, supply of quality basic inputs like yarn and eco-friendly dyes will make these products more competitive. I am happy that the Government has recognized these issues and is reorienting its programmes and schemes. Although a lot has been done, much still remains to be accomplished. Therefore, it is necessary for the Government to provide thrust through training and capacity building, by integrating new technologies with craft, which will lead to value addition.

Marketing is another area, which plays a crucial role. The efforts of artisans and weavers in producing high quality products will bear even greater fruit only if adequate marketing opportunities are created. This will help artisans receive remunerative returns. The Government could, therefore, look at how to broaden the existing marketing infrastructure in the country, so that products have a continuous demand through out the year.

In order to fully exploit the export potential of handicrafts and handloom products, it is necessary that more emphasis be laid on standardization and application of the right kind of technologies and processes for strengthening supply chain management. I believe that our skilled artisans and weavers must slowly and systematically graduate from being stand alone entities to entrepreneurs and direct exporters.

Artisans and weavers alone cannot glorify the rich cultural heritage of our country. In fact it has to be combined with vision and efforts of all stakeholders. Exporters, entrepreneurs, institutional buyers like large Corporates, the Travel and Tourism industry and retail chain stores in the country can play a constructive role by supporting artisans, by providing them with necessary inputs on markets, designs, materials, technologies and processing. This support will help in preserving our rich and diverse legacy.

I would also like to suggest that the Government could bring in certain policies and programmes, which apart from addressing the developmental needs, should also address welfare concerns of artisans and weavers. Physical well being of artisans must receive equal attention as their economic well being. It is only when the product maker enjoys good health, will he be able to be at his creative best.

I once again congratulate all the recipients of the awards, and I exhort you to become a vehicle of change in your craft community and lead others to a higher level of prosperity. As well known persons, you can also help to bring about social change. I wish you success in the pursuit of your endeavors.

I had the opportunity to see a few items on display in the exhibition, before coming here. I was left thinking in amazement has to how you made these items. You have raised the prestige of the nation by producing these articles. I congratulate you for this.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Textiles for instituting these awards, which is an important recognition of our artisans and weavers. I hope that many more artisans and weavers will aspire to reach higher levels of success in the years to come.

Thank You,

Jai Hind