Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram inaugurated National Tribal Crafts Mela Aadishilp. Speaking on the occasion the Minister said our tribal artisans make valuable artefacts.
This kind of exhibition provides them an important platform to showcase their products. Oram said Tribal Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India ltd (TRIFED), through its 45 sales counter all over the country, is providing much-needed marketing system to these artisans.
These counters achieved a turnover of `20 crore last year. Oram said, “It is our endeavour to provide more such platforms for tribal artisans so that they can their sell their products directly to the consumer without middlemen. I am glad to inform that tribal handicraft has become popular among urban youth during the past few years and I am hopeful that people’s interest in these artefact will increase more.”
More than 100 tribal artisans from all over the country are showcasing their unique and exquisite tribal artefacts in 113 stalls in the exhibition. Hand-crafted items, handloom products, dry flowers, cane and bamboo products, tribal jewellery, dokra craft, tribal weaves and embroidery, tribal paintings and lot more are being presented by these artisans in the exhibition. The exhibition which is on at INA Dilli Haat will conclude on November 30.
The main objective of organising Aadishilp is to give tribal artisans an opportunity to showcase and sell their traditional art and craft works directly to the customers and get their feedback which would help them in having valuable inputs. Aadishilp provides them a platform for direct interface with art and craft lovers, share their talent with the urban elite and know the customers’ taste and preferences for adapting their product designs and creations accordingly.
TRIFED has been taking a number of promotional initiatives for marketing tribal products. From a single sales outlet set up in 1999 at New Delhi, today it has 36 outlets of its own and nine consignment outlets across the country. TRIFED has also initiated the concept of sourcing tribal products by way of organising Tribal Artisan Melas (TAMs) to identify new artisans and products from different regions where tribal artisans are invited to display their products for selection and inclusion in the range of products marketed by TRIFED. Design and quality inputs are given to the artisans wherever required for overall improvement and better marketing prospects of their products.
TRIFED, under Ministry of Tribal Affairs, is the only apex body of government of India which is engaged in the development and marketing of traditional tribal products including metal craft, paintings, textiles, jewellery, natural products. TRIFED’s objective is to improve the livelihood of the tribal communities by creating a sustainable market and create business opportunities for them based on their cultural knowledge and traditional skills while ensuring fair and equitable remuneration for their products by organising Tribal Crafts Mela. TRIFED also focusses on training for skill upgradation and capacity-building of tribal artisans and Minor Forest Produce gatherers.