On the eve of Diwali, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini walked among weavers, potters, and folk artists at the Surajkund Diwali Mela in Faridabad on Friday, 23 October 2026 — and turned the visit into a direct pitch for buying local. The fair, running until 26 October, is showcasing Indian handicrafts, folk culture, and regional cuisine in one of the country's most storied craft venues.

Posting on X after his visit, Saini said he felt privileged — 'aaj Surajkund mein diwali mele mein aane ka saubhagya mila' (today I had the fortune of visiting the Diwali fair at Surajkund) — and credited the artisans' skill and labour with giving fresh muscle to the vision of a self-reliant India. 'Their art, skill, and hard work are giving new strength to the resolve of Atmanirbhar Bharat,' he wrote.

Surajkund's four-decade stage for Indian craft

The Surajkund International Crafts Mela has been a fixture in Haryana's cultural calendar since 1987, organised by Haryana Tourism to put rural artisans in front of buyers from across the country and beyond. The Diwali edition follows the same template: direct market access, no middleman, and a festive crowd primed to spend on handmade goods. For artisans who depend on seasonal sales, a fair of this scale during the festival season is not a photo opportunity — it is a financial lifeline.

Haryana's 'One Block One Product' under Padma Yojana

Saini used the occasion to spotlight what his government is calling 'One Block One Product', promoted under the Padma Yojana, framing it as Haryana's on-the-ground answer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Vocal for Local' call. The national Vocal for Local campaign was launched in 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat economic package, urging Indians to prefer domestically made goods. The concept of identifying one signature product per sub-district administrative unit extends the logic of the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme — first piloted by Uttar Pradesh in 2018 and later scaled nationally — down to the block level, potentially bringing smaller, less commercially visible craft clusters into the policy frame.

The Diwali ask: buy from your artisan, not just for yourself

Saini's closing appeal was unambiguous: this Diwali, adopt the products of local artisans, encourage their skill, and strengthen the Atmanirbhar Bharat resolve by championing indigenous goods. It is a message the BJP has refined into a reliable festive-season communication — marrying cultural sentiment with economic nationalism. The fair runs only until 26 October, leaving a narrow window for the foot-traffic that determines how much of this translates from political messaging into actual artisan income.