By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 25 Jul: A first of its kind “5th North-East India Traditional Fashion Week (NEIFW) 2021”, organised by the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities, here, concluded today. Showcasing the culture, arts and crafts of North-East India, this programme was conducted over the online platform.
On 24 July, the first day of the festival, Dr Virendra Kumar, Union Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, e-inaugurated NEIFW 2021 in the presence of the Ministers of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Pratima Bhowmik and A Narayanaswamy, and Secretary Anjali Bhavara and Joint Secretary Dr Prabodh Seth.
The programme concluded today with an online valedictory function. The Chief Guest on the occasion was Nachiketa Raut, former director of the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities. He is the current director of the Institute for Empowerment of Multiple Disabilities, Chennai. The special guests were ‘Miss Deaf India’ 2016 title winner Anjala Lohan, DJ Artist and President of Mizoram Divyangjan Society and member of Aka DJ Kaniquee, Nikki Chhachhua, veteran artist Victor Banerjee, and famous radio and film singer and ‘Indian Idol’ 2019 participant, Mandakini Takhelambah. Akhil Paul, Founder-Director, Sense International, was the Guest of Honour.
In his inaugural address, Union Minister Dr Virendra Kumar congratulated the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and NIEPVD for this innovative programme. He said that, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, many national mission programs are being launched and successfully implemented. Thus, it was necessary that all the national institutions of DEPWD act as a strong link and extend their services, so that the differently abled people get the full benefits of all national mission programmes like Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan, National Bamboo Mission, Skill Development, etc. Such events would generate employment opportunities and encourage entrepreneurship avenues for the Divyangjan. In the event, various awareness programmes were organised by all the institutes of the department, including the 8 National Institutes, the Rehabilitation Council of India, the National Trust, the National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation and the Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India. The aim was to enrich the Make-in-India movement by bringing Divyangjan into the mainstream along with promoting the indigenous culture and art forms of Northeast India.
The highlights of NEIFW-21 were workshops conducted on skill and entrepreneurship building; artisan training; exhibitions of disabled artisans; traditional dress shows and the showcasing of the traditional cultural festivals of North East India. Persons with Disabilities, Families of Persons with Disabilities, NGOs, DPOs, Parent Organisations, Special Schools, Special Vocational Centres, Cooperatives, etc., from the 8 North Eastern States participated in this event.
Nachiketa Raut, the Chief Guest at the closing ceremony, described this event as a milestone in the empowerment of persons with disabilities and congratulated the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities and the Director, Dr Himangshu Das and his entire team, for successfully organising the event.
