Gandhinagar, May 17 Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Sunday recalled his early political years and praised the intricate and scientific design traditions behind Patan Patola weaving in Gujarat's Patan district, saying "India’s traditional design heritage needed greater recognition and expansion".
The Home Minister was speaking at the inauguration of the Incubation and Innovation Centre at the National Institute of Design (NID) in Gandhinagar, where he highlighted the importance of integrating design into modern industry and public life.
Referring to a visit he made to Patan in 1982, HM Shah said he had been deeply impressed by the craftsmanship and technical sophistication involved in Patola weaving.
“Those who have seen Patan Patola would know how exquisitely, minutely and scientifically its design has been done,” he said.
HM Shah said he had visited the home of a Patola weaving family during that trip after being taken there by a local worker named K.C. Patel.
He said his curiosity about the weaving process led him to ask detailed questions about the craft and its methods.
“I tell you, perhaps such scientific design with colour combinations may hardly exist anywhere else,” HM Shah said while describing the precision and planning involved in the traditional textile art.
The Home Minister said the example of Patola demonstrated that India already possessed deep-rooted design traditions and artistic capabilities that needed to be explored further and connected to modern opportunities.
“This discipline exists within us; it has to be explored. Creating an environment where more people could accept design as a career is essential for fully utilising the country’s creative potential," he said.
He said awareness about the practical utility of design also needed to grow across sectors and society.
"Design should not be seen only as aesthetics or decoration but as a field that improves functionality, utility and public use," he said.
HM Shah said the role of design had become increasingly important in areas ranging from industrial infrastructure to high-technology sectors such as semiconductors and chip manufacturing.
He urged institutions like NID to help connect students possessing design instincts and creativity with professional careers and industry requirements.
HM Shah also suggested that NID should eventually establish dedicated systems to bridge the gap between creative talent and commercialisation so that designers receive better professional opportunities and recognition.
During his address, the Home Minister described NID as an institution that connects creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
"One of the objectives behind establishing NID in Ahmedabad in 1961 may have been to identify and nurture the design abilities present in ordinary people," he said.
The event was attended by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, NID Governing Council chairman Jayaprakash Shivhare, NID Director Dr Ashok Mandal, students and faculty members.
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