Khadi Utsav 2014, a month-long exhibition of exquisite khadi products, began in the City on Friday.
It is being organised at Freedom Park by the Karnataka State Khadi and Village Industries Board. Various stalls which sold clothes, bags, footwear, handmade jewellery and wooden products, attracted a good number of people throughout the day. Entrepreneurs from across the country are part of the exhibition.
Craftsman Nayeem Ahmed, who hails from Kashmir, displayed traditional works from his land in his stall. Meticulously done flowers stood out in each of the garment that he had displayed.
“I am the businessman in the family. This has always been my livelihood and it gives me pleasure to be able to travel to some parts of the country and get to know other people. Back home, our products are made by craftsmen in different villages. We usually have seven to eight people working on each piece,” said Ahmed.
“I have been working as a businessman for the past five years, dealing mainly in silk and jute clothing,” said Prohlad Devnath from West Bengal. “Even though I own a shop in Kolkata, this is a one-of-a-kind opportunity where people like us get to see the rest of the country,” he said.
Devnath added that it usually takes two craftsmen a fortnight to make some of the beautiful ‘Kantha silk’ sarees that he had displayed.
During the inauguration of the khadi expo, Sugar Minister Prakash Hukkeri announced that Rs 38 crore had been set aside for development of khadi products and the empowerment of the industry in the State.
Food and Civil Supplies Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said that there should be more schemes within the industry to attract the youth.
“We should hold such exhibitions at the taluk level in order to do this,” he said.
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