Recognizing the potential of the North Eastern Region, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described it as ‘Ashtalakshmi’.
A significant step, under the guidance of Minister for DoNER G. Kishan Reddy, was taken towards leveraging the potential of tourism, crafts and culture of the north eastern states and achieving the twin objectives of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
A MoU between Department of Heritage & Tourism, Government of Haryana and the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation Ltd. (NEHHDC), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) was signed today for bilateral, cross-cultural exchange & promotion of handicrafts, handlooms, textiles, crafts, culture and cuisine of the state of Haryana and North East India.
Chanchal Kumar, Secretary Ministry of DoNER, M.D. Sinha, Principal Secretary, Govt. of Haryana and senior officials of MDoNER and Government. of Haryana were present. This significant and historic partnership will go a long way realizing the objectives of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ and ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.
As per the MoU, the Department of Heritage & Tourism, Government of Haryana will allow NEHHDC to participate as the Theme State in the annual ‘Surajkund Mela’ for the next 5 years.
A separate zone with 60 stalls within the Surajkund Mela will be provided to NEHHDC for setting up their stalls to showcase their offerings, particularly with respect to arts, crafts, handlooms and handicrafts and cuisine free of cost.
On its part NEHHDC will coordinate on behalf of the Department of Heritage & Tourism, Government of Haryana to provide it multiple platforms for participation in major festivals in the north east, such as the Hornbill Festival, Nagaland; Mon Festival, Nagaland; Sangai Festival, Manipur; Cherry Blossom Festival, Meghalaya; and Ziro Music Festival, Arunachal Pradesh.
This MoU will be a game-changer for development of tourism and empower the artisans from both the north east region and the state of Haryana to showcase their rich cultural heritage and craftsmanship, fostering a deeper appreciation and understanding of their artistry among the people while also opening up new economic markets for their products.
