Chandigarh News, 09 Jan 2020 : Surajkund Mela Authority and The British Council signed a Memorandum of understanding at Haryana Niwas, Sector 3, Chandigarh. The function was graced by Shri Kanwar Pal, Hon’ble Tourism Minister, Haryana and by Shri Randhir Gollen, Chairman, Haryana Tourism Corporation. Also present at the occasion were Shri. Vijai Vardhan, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Tourism, Haryana cum Vice Chairman, Surajkund Mela Authority, Shri. Vikas Yadav, Managing Director, Haryana Tourism Corporation cum Chief Administrator, Surajkund Mela Authority and Mr. Tom Birtwistle, Area Director, North India, The British Council. The MoU was signed by Shri. Vijai Vardhan, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Haryana cum Vice Chairman, Surajkund Mela Authority and Mr. Tom Birtwistle, Area Directo,r North India, The British Council in the presence of Shri Kanwar Pal, Tourism Minister, Haryana and by Shri Randhir Gollen, Chairman, Haryana Tourism Corporation.
The British Council seeks to create international opportunities for the people of the United Kingdom and other countries and to build trust between them, including by focusing on cultural and educational relationships between the United Kingdom and other countries such as India The Parties agreed to establish partnership relations between them based on principles of equality, mutual respect and mutual benefit and provide bilateral support and cooperation in the field of crafts and culture as a Partner for each other’s festivals and other programmes organised annually and as per mutually agreed timelines.
British Council will facilitate UK’s participation in the SurajkundMela for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022. Each year it will support the participation of 4 crafts persons from the UK attending the mela. British Council will also organise other programmes to support Haryana artisans and crafts persons and the overall arts, crafts and tourism sector through mutually agreed programmes around capacity building of the sector and the crafts community through a range of activities such as trainings, networks and showcase events in India and UK.
The SurajkundMela Authority will provide boarding, lodging and local transportation, free of cost, as local hospitality for participation in the Surajkund crafts mela. The SurajkundMela Authority will also provide free space for the sale and/or exhibition of the artefacts/products to each other’s artisans/ craftspersons during the period of participation in the Surajkund Crafts Mela.
Speaking on the occasion Shri Kanwar Pal stated that “this is another milestone in the history of Surajkund Mela and he hopes that the mela will be an event known across the globe”.
