Ranchi: National Khadi and Saras Mahotsav concludes, people laud event

Ranchi, Jan 7 (IANS) The 18-day-long National Khadi and Saras Mahotsav concluded on Tuesday at Morabadi Ground in Ranchi.

Speaking on the occasion, Governor Santosh Kumar Gangwar said, “The festival is not only a symbol of our rich culture and traditions but has also proved to be a powerful platform for rural development and self-employment.”

More than 500 stalls were set up at the fair this time. The stalls at the fair were named after trees found in the forests of Jharkhand. Various government, non-government and private institutions along with Khadi institutions participated in it. More than three lakh people visited the Mela site during the 18 days of the festival. During this, IANS also talked to some people who came to the Saras Festival.

Speaking to IANS, Kunal Prasad said, “Such Khadi fairs should always be organised, as it gives a medium to the villagers to become financially self-sufficient. Through this, the products of the villagers are promoted and people from all over the country get to know the products which are made by their hands. Whether it is handicrafts, pottery, pickles, papad or other rural products, their promotion and branding across the country can help villagers get the right price for their hard work.”

“This event is in line with the vision of our Prime Minister, who wants such events to promote villagers and Khadi products. Through this, we can motivate people to adopt indigenous products, which will strengthen the rural economy and increase the importance of indigenous products in the country,” He added.

Sanjeev Kumar, a visitor told IANS, “Mahatma Gandhi first used the charkha against the British to encourage it and himself prepared Khadi clothes. Khadi is very comfortable to wear, wearing it in summer does not feel hot and wearing it in cold does not even feel cold. By organising such fairs, the products manufactured by cottage industries in rural areas are promoted, which are brought here. You can see here that papad, pickles and a lot of handmade products are available.”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi promotes Khadi and we should also adopt it as Khadi is a product of our country. The slogan ‘Vocal for Local’ helps the people associated with the Khadi industry as they derive their livelihood from this industry and enjoy a good standard of living. Khadi is not only the heritage of our country, but it is also a medium to make people self-reliant,” he added.

Speaking to IANS, Archana Kumari said, “Firstly, women are becoming self-reliant here. The work that they used to do in their homes, now they are doing the same work when they come out, like making pickles, papad or khadi cloth. With this, they are not only running their houses but also promoting Khadi. We should use hand-woven fabric and other products made of khadi. This initiative of Prime Minister Modi is very commendable and he has implemented the slogan of ‘Vocal for Local’ in the right way. This initiative is playing an important role in the development of our country.”

Talking to IANS, Dr D. Kumar said that it is very important to uplift the people of the village or the people of rural areas. “It is necessary from time to time to have such events, such as Khadi Mela so that people can bring the household items that they make in their home and sell here. Prime Minister Modi is also very enthusiastic about Khadi and is trying his best to promote it. We want more publicity of Khadi because this practice was earlier prevalent during Mahatma Gandhi’s time, but now it is fading. We should promote this practice so that it can be revived and the villagers can also be financially empowered,” he added.

–IANS

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