Kejriwal felicitates 16 handicraft artisans

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal presented the State Award to 16 outstanding handicraft artisans of Delhi and stressed on the need to boost this industry to further create job opportunities.

The Delhi government confers these awards to craftsmen in recognition of their outstanding contribution, craftsmanship and development of craft. There are two categories of awards — State Award with a cash prize of Rs 30,000 and a certificate and State Merit Award with a cash prize of Rs 20,000 and a certificate.

“By helping craftsmen recognise their own creative potential and nurturing their skill set, we can boost their confidence and enable them to contribute to the growth of the industry,” he said.

The CM stressed on the need to support craftsmen to create more job opportunities in the handicraft industry. He said that the government will hold a meeting and find a way to boost employment opportunities in this industry.

The Delhi CM pointed out that unemployment was an issue facing the nation at the moment and that the handicraft sector could play an important role in providing jobs to people.

“This is where I firmly believe that craftsmanship in the handicraft sector can play a key role if it is given the right kind of impetus by the state government,” he said.

A craftsman from Punjab, Vicky, while speaking to Millennium Post said that he has turned his craft into his business in the last 25 years but not all craftspeople are fortunate. “It is a challenge and support from the government makes all the difference,” he said. Vicky received State Merit Award for the year 2020 for his craft Applique work.

Explaining that art is a process that is closely related to “aatma” or human nature, Kejriwal said that the artists have learnt the artwork from their fathers and some have learnt it from their “guru”. “It is really heartening to see the “guru-shishya parampara” that India is famous for being the backbone of so many of the artists present over here,” he said.