Dehradun, Oct 29 (PTI) "Hunar Haat", a handicrafts exhibition that aims at providing market exposure and employment opportunities to artisans and craftsmen from the minority communities, has become a credible platform to strengthen Prime Minister Narendra Modi"s call of "vocal for local", Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Friday.Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the country"s 30th Hunar Haat Mela here, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs said over 5.60 lakh artisans, craftsmen and traditional culinary experts among others have been provided with employment opportunities through the initiative.Around 500 artisans and craftsmen from across the country are displaying their indigenous products made of wood, brass, bamboo, glass, cloth, paper and clay at "Hunar Haat" in Dehradun.Inaugurated by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at a school in the Race Course area here, the event also saw felicitation of the family members of freedom fighters.In his address, Dhami said there was no dearth of skilled artisans and craftsmen in the country. However, they were looking for a market for their art and crafts."Hunar Haat has provided a huge market and opportunities to such artisans and craftsmen," he said, adding that the initiative also strengthens the prime minister"s campaign for an "Aatmanirbhar Bharat"."Hunar Haat" is organised by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under its Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTTAD) scheme.Lok Sabha MP and former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Tirath Singh Rawat, MLA and former Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, Lok Sabha MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal, Rishikesh Mayor Anita Mamgai as well as senior officials were present at the inauguration of "Hunar Haat".Organised in Dehradun, this is the 30th "Hunar Haat" in the series being organised across the country under "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav".About 500 artisans and craftsmen from more than 30 states and union territories, including Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Goa, Punjab, Uttrakhand, Ladakh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Kerala have brought their indigenous products to the "Hunar Haat" in Dehradun."Vishwakarma Vatika" is also one of the attractions at "Hunar Haat" with artisans and crafts persons are carrying out live demonstrations how these traditional indigenous products are made.It is playing an important role in preserving and promoting the traditional arts and crafts of the country.In his address on the occasion, Naqvi said "Hunar Haat" has become a "credible platform" to strengthen Prime Minister Modi"s call for "Swadeshi-Swavlamban" and "vocal for local" and providing market to indigenous products of traditional artisans and crafts persons.During the last about six years, more than 5,60,000 artisans, crafts persons and people associated with them have been provided employment and employment opportunities through "Hunar Haat", he said.At "Hunar Haat", people will also enjoy traditional food from almost every corner of the country under one roof at the "Bawarchikhana" section.Renowned artists such as Kailash Kher, Daler Mehdi, Pankaj Udhas, Sudesh Bhosle, Vinod Rathore, Rekha Raj, Rani Indrani, Prem Bhatia, Bhupendra Singh Bhuppi, Hamsar Hayat, among others, will perform various musical, cultural programmes in the evening every day at "Hunar Haat" in Dehradun."Hunar Haat" is also available at virtual and online platform hunarhaat.org and GeM portal. People of the country and abroad can buy Hunar Haat products online also. PTI ALM ASK CJ KJ