Vijayawada: Handicraftsman needs the support of society

Vijayawada: Both the Centre and the State governments are striving to improve the living standards of the handicraftsman by encouraging the products produced by him, said Himanshu Shukla, Director of Handloom and Textiles and Managing Director of Lepakshi and APCO while inaugurating the handicrafts exhibition 'Kala Kumbh' from North-Eastern states at PVP Mall here on Friday.

The exhibition in which the handicraftsmen from eight states are participating will continue till March 15.

The expo is coordinated by Handicrafts Export Promotion Council, Union Handicrafts Development Commission and Andhra Pradesh handicrafts Development Corporation.

Addressing the gathering, Himanshu Shukla said that handicraftsmen are the backbone of Indian handicrafts who have been keeping the art live through the ages. He said that the Handicrafts Export Promotion Council, a non-profit organisation with 11,000 members, aims at promoting the image of Indian Culture. The Union Handicrafts Development Commission would coordinate the efforts of the Council.

Shukla said that there are Indian handicraft lovers throughout the world and by exporting the handicrafts to those countries, the country is earning foreign exchange and at the same time, providing livelihood to the artists.

The exhibitors of the handicrafts are also offering discounts for the citizens of Vijayawada, he said.

Shukla announced that handicrafts from Andhra Pradesh would be exhibited in New Delhi, Mumbai and other cities soon. "There is good market for handicrafts in the country itself and it should be utilised for selling the goods," he said.

Handicrafts Export Promotion Council southern coordinator KS Tulasi Rao, assistant director Rajesh Singh, assistant director of Union Ministry of Textiles Dr Lanka Manoj and others were present.

The exhibition includes handicrafts like fashion accessories, bamboo handicrafts, natural fibre articles, Terra cotta work from Assam, textiles from Nagaland, artistic dress material from Manipur, and other textile material from Meghalaya, Tripura, Sikkim, and others.