Para-military personnel to don Khadi uniform as Home Minister Amit Shah directs the move

Union Home Minister Amit Shah has instructed the Director Generals (DGs) of all para-military forces to use Khadi in their uniforms and village industries products such as pickles, papad, honey, soaps and detergents, shampoos, phenol, tea, mustard oil, etc. in their canteens asking them to switch to ‘Make-in-India’. 

To give a major boost to the Khadi and village industries, the authorities of the para-military forces and Khadi and Village Industry Commission (KVIC) held many meetings reaching the decision on Khadi uniforms. 

As mentioned by Khadi India, the official social media handle of KVIC, more than 10 lakh personnel of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), National Security Guards (NSG) and Assam Rifles (AR) will be donning Khadi uniforms. 

As per a press release, the meetings had been going on for the last two weeks and have reached their last leg after KVIC had shared several samples for approval.

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Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chairman of KVIC, informed that the samples of cotton and woollen uniforms, blankets and camouflage uniform etc. provided by the para-military forces have been developed and submitted to few forces for final approval by KVIC. The release mentioned that the samples were quite liked by the para-military forces and found to be superior to existing material used by the forces.

“This move will not only double the Khadi and Village Industries turnover which is nearly Rs 75,000 Crores currently but also create millions of additional man-hours for the Khadi artisans who will weave millions of meters of Khadi fabric for our para-military forces,” Saxena added.

He added via a tweet, “Once, Khadi helped build a nation. Now, Khadi-helps defend a nation. Only the times have changed. But a timeless value has remained. Over 1 million para-military forces to don Khadi uniform thanks to Amit Shah ji.”

Earlier in November, the Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Nitin Gadkari had said that Khadi is transforming like never before and that it, along with other village industry products, is helping in the development of the Country. 

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