SPEECH OF THE HON'BLE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SMT. PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF THE KHADI AND VILLAGE INDUSTRIES COMMISSION

New Delhi, 19th November 2007

Shri P. Chidambaram, Minister of Finance,

Shri Mahabir Prasad, Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,

Shri S.M Krishna, Governor of Maharashtra,

Ms. Kumud Joshi, Chairperson of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission,

Dr. Chandrapal, Secretary, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have great pleasure in participating in the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC). On this occasion and on Indiraji's Birthday, I extend my greetings and felicitations to all those associated with the Khadi and Village Industries sector and I wish the Golden Jubilee Celebrations all success.

The freedom struggle gave India its Independence and a promise to the people of India to liberate them from poverty, ignorance and disease; to give them opportunities to improve their lives; and to build a strong and stable nation. In India, khadi evokes a strong sentiment since it has been associated with our freedom struggle. To give impetus to the freedom movement and as a substitute for materials being imported from Britain, Mahatma Gandhiji chose khadi, which soon became a symbol of the unity of India against the colonial power. The use of Khadi also conveyed a powerful message that Indians could be self-reliant and live with dignity in the most trying of circumstances. The fabric still remains a tool of economic freedom and a means of livelihood with dignity for many, particularly in the rural areas. Khadi and village industries occupy the most important place in the country's economy after agriculture.

Bapuji used to say and I quote, "Khadi is a help to the poor, a friend of the distressed and it is like a cane to the blind." Once while expressing his thoughts about khadi, he had written and I quote, "I think about the poor of India when I spin every thread of khadi. Crores of people can get employment through this. That is why I call the process of spinning as that involving perseverance and a ritual. I can see the Almighty in every thread."

Khadi and village industries have now gained permanence. Actually this industry is deeply ingrained in Indian culture. Nationalized banks, other banks and financial institutions should be involved in programmes that are being run for the creation of rural employment through khadi and village industries for the weaker sections of society. There is a need for the Khadi Board and the Government to pay special attention to see that artisans can get finance easily and through the nearest banks. The requirements of the needy to get proper benefits through loans and grants should also be kept in mind.

In today's globalizing world, the competition for markets is intense but as the whole world is now interlinked, it also offers opportunities. The uniqueness of traditional products and fabrics as opposed to the homogenous products of mass production is an advantage in itself. The world has woken up to the beauty and aesthetics of well-crafted handicrafts and the work of our artisans has been widely acclaimed both domestically and internationally. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru rightly said, and I quote, "however, much we might develop our big industries, there would still be considerable scope for the expansion of village industries in a country like India."

The Khadi and village industries while retaining the intrinsic beauty of their products, will survive in the long run, if they take into account the changes occurring in the world in terms of market, technology and customer preferences. Blending khadi with other fibres such as silk, wool etc. will give it a new image and open further markets. Khadi could also be given a new look, where necessary, so as to attract the younger generation. There is now a growing preference for natural products and khadi has an inherent advantage, in that it is eco-friendly and can be marketed as such. There is also a need for paying attention to standardization of khadi and village industries products. State Governments should pay special attention towards this as it has the potential to create employment for a large number of people with less investment. Every person requires clothing. If every person buys atleast one Rupee worth of khadi every year, this will lead to the sales of more than Rs. 100 crore in the country alone and provide employment for lakhs of people. Efforts towards disseminating information and publicity about the importance of khadi and have not been adequate. I appeal to the people to use atleast one pair of clothes made out of khadi.

Innovation is the key to progress. The 'Electronic Charkha', which has been launched today is such an innovation, with multi-purpose use to help the khadi worker. We should increasingly focus on research and development for more such innovations in the village and the small-scale sector. Village industries too can be encouraged to produce new agro-based products, which can be marketed in the domestic and export markets.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission is promoting the sale and marketing of khadi, products of village industries and handicrafts through its own marketing infrastructure of 7500 outlets. To extend its reach it has also forged links with other agencies, wherever necessary and feasible. Aggressive marketing strategies should be evolved and widest possible advertisement campaigns, including through electronic media, should be launched. Better methodology of packing and presentation of products would help very much in increasing the market reach as has been proven by the recent success of some of the products being marketed by KVIC. The efforts of KVIC for providing improved tools and implements to artisans, up-gradation of technology, quality control, designing through coordinated efforts with professional agencies are steps in the right direction.

One of the main objectives of promotion of khadi and village industries is to create employment opportunities in rural areas and urban slums for improving the quality of life. Khadi and village industries provide employment to a large population of approximately 8 million people but this is still below the potential. More employment generation units, especially for women should be set up. Central workshops should be started in cities. These could serve as weaving training centers and also be a place where artisans could come and use facilities for weaving.

We need to focus on the role of micro, small and medium enterprises, which are employment intensive in nature and have a greater regional spread. Their location close to rural areas will generate employment for the local population and give a boost to development of nearby villages. Mahatma Gandhi said that the soul of India lives in its villages. Today, we should recognize and honour that truth by giving priority to village industries and sustainable rural development.

Khadi is a part of our conscience and the symbol of our self-respect and self-reliance. Khadi and village industries are a medium for making the rural economy strong and they have huge potential for creating employment. Therefore, it is necessary for us to give it maximum encouragement. There is a necessity to expand programmes connected with khadi taking into account present requirements.

I once again extend my greetings and felicitations to all members of the "Khadi Parivar" and I wish the Golden Jubilee Celebrations all success.

Thank you.

JAI HIND