Treat Khadi as 'National Fabric': Vice President

New Delhi, Sep 1 (KNN) Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu has appealed to the citizens to treat khadi as 'National Fabric' and promote its use extensively.

He also called upon celebrities from various fields to come forward and promote the use of Khadi in a big way.

The Vice President was speaking at the launch of 'Khadi India Quiz Contest' organized as part of 'Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav' by the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC).

Referring to the environmental benefits of Khadi, the Vice President mentioned that Khadi has zero carbon footprint as it does not require electricity or any kind of fuel for its manufacturing.

"At a time when the world is looking for sustainable alternatives in clothing, it should be remembered that Khadi as an eco-friendly and sustainable fabric certainly meets the requirement," he said.

He expressed his happiness over the phenomenal turnaround of Khadi in the last 7 years and lauded the government, KVIC and all the stakeholders for accelerating the growth.

"I am happy to note that KVIC has succeeded in establishing a pan-India reach and has connected people with sustainable self-employment activities even in the remotest corners of the country," he added.

The Vice President also recalled the historical relevance of Khadi and said it was a binding force for the masses during the freedom movement. Naidu mentioned how Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1918 started the Khadi movement to generate a source of income for the poverty-stricken masses and later turned it into a powerful symbolic tool against foreign rule.

He called upon educational institutions to explore using Khadi for uniforms. He said that it will not only give students an opportunity to experience the many benefits of Khadi but will also help them connect with our great freedom fighters and freedom movement.

"Due to its porous texture, Khadi is eminently suitable for our local climatic conditions," he added.

Urging everyone to take part in the 'Khadi India Quiz Contest', he said, the contest was an interesting way of taking us back to our roots as it recollects the historic moments of our freedom struggle and the unparalleled contribution of our great freedom fighters.

Minister for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Narayan Rane, Minister of State for Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Bhanu Pratap Singh Verma, Khadi & Village Industries Commission, Secretary, Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, BB Swain and others were present during the event.