Chandigarh: Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Sh. Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, India is progressing towards becoming a developed nation. When the centenary of India's independence is celebrated, khadi will play a vital role in it. Khadi and Village Industries is becoming a powerful platform for millions of weavers, he said.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Sh. Amit Shah interacted with artisans at the Khadi Mahotsav held at the Maharshi Dayanand University campus in Rohtak on Friday.
The Union Minister along with Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini, distributed modern machines, toolkits, and margin money worth Rs. 301 crore under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), encouraging artisans to move towards self-reliance through Swadeshi.
The Union Minister also virtually inaugurated PMEGP units, a Central Wool Processing Plant, and Khadi and Village Industries buildings, including the newly constructed office and warehouse of KVIC in Panchkula, Haryana.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Revived Khadi- Amit Shah
Union Minister, Sh. Amit Shah remarked that after independence, previous governments paid no attention to khadi and completely neglected Khadi and Village Industries. He said that when Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, he pledged to develop khadi and worked to revive KVIC.
He said that because of the Prime Minister’s interest in khadi and his connection with the weavers, the khadi business under the Modi government has grown from Rs. 33,000 crore to Rs. 1.70 lakh crore in just 11 years.
Sh. Amit Shah emphasized that the benefits of this increased turnover have gone to the weavers of the country, not any capitalist or private industrialist. He added that KVIC has now developed excellent packaging and marketing systems. Speaking at the event, he expressed happiness in distributing 12 types of modern machines including automatic charkhas, leather machines, and also margin money to the weavers.
Swadeshi and Swabhasha are essential for Swaraj- Union Home Minister
The Union Cooperation Minister said that the vision of Swaraj at the time of independence was incomplete without Swadeshi and Swabhasha. In this direction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inspired 140 crore Indians to adopt indigenous products. He said that the concept of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) and the Swadeshi movement will be beneficial for every Indian. He further informed that the Prime Minister recently reduced GST on over 395 items, giving a Diwali gift to the people.
Sh. Amit Shah stated that khadi has an important role in strengthening the country’s economy, and that along with ‘Khadi for Nation’, there should also be ‘Khadi for Fashion’, with active participation from every Indian. He appealed to the public at the festival to adopt khadi, promote indigenous products, and make the country self-reliant.
Khadi and Village Industries — a Strong Medium for Aatmanirbhar Bharat, says CM
Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini while welcoming Union Home and Cooperation Minister, Sh. Amit Shah on his arrival in Haryana said that khadi is our heritage, and khadi products are moving rapidly from local to global. He said that Khadi and Village Industries have now become a strong medium for self-reliant India. Under the leadership of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi, khadi has achieved unprecedented growth and is gaining recognition at the international level. He described the khadi Mahotsav as a celebration of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, driven by the vision of Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi.
The Chief Minister said that such programmes and the support of the central government will further accelerate khadi-related activities in Haryana. He urged the public to adopt the Prime Minister’s slogan "Buy Indian, Build India" and support khadi.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini stated that it is a matter of pride for the people of the state that today, various Khadi products including the Khadi turban, the symbol of Haryana’s honor, were inaugurated by the Union Home Minister. He described the event as a festival of Swadeshi.
Speaking on the development of khadi and indigenous products, he recalled how there was a time when khadi was only associated with freedom, but today, under Prime Minister Modi’s visionary leadership and the efforts of Home and Cooperation Minister, Sh. Amit Shah, khadi has become the most powerful medium of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
The Chief Minister stated the government’s commitment that by the year 2047, when India becomes a developed nation, Haryana's economy will be worth one trillion dollars, and khadi and MSMEs will play a commendable role in achieving that goal, he said.
Government Advancing the Mantra of 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi'- CM
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the central government, by promoting the mantra of 'Sahakar Se Samriddhi’(Prosperity through Cooperation), has launched the National Cooperation Policy–2025, in which villages, agriculture, rural women, Dalits, and tribals are at the center. This policy emphasizes transparency, technology, and welfare of the members, because of which cooperative units are now standing on par with the corporate sector, he said.
The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi’s call for Swadeshi, Vocal for Local, and Make in India has strengthened the feeling of “Swadeshi in every home.” Recently, the GST reforms introduced by the Prime Minister have revitalized the economy, reducing costs and giving a boost to local products. In Haryana, the new GST slab system is expected to yield benefits worth Rs. 4,000 crore, he said.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the machines being distributed in Rohtak today by the Union Home Minister have replaced traditional machines, empowering artisans. Additionally, artisans are now benefiting from many government schemes related to khadi, and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), he said.
The Chief Minister assured the Union Home and Cooperation Minister that the Haryana government will play a leading role in building a self-reliant India through Swadeshi initiatives.
Khadi Creating Employment in Rural Areas- Manoj Kumar
At the Khadi Mahotsav, Chairman, Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Sh. Manoj Kumar said that khadi is no longer just a symbol of tradition and Swadeshi, but has also become a medium of fashion and self-reliance for the youth. He said khadi is not only creating employment in rural areas, but is also playing a key role in empowering women. He stressed that if cooperation and khadi progress together, it will give a new direction to the country’s economic and social empowerment journey.
Union Ministers of State, Rao Inderjit Singh and Sh. Krishan Pal Gurjar, Haryana Co-operation Minister, Dr. Arvind Kumar Sharma, BJP State President, Sh. Mohan Lal Kaushik, MPs, Sh. Dharambir Singh and Sh. Ramchandra Jangra, other dignitaries and administrative officers also attended the programme.