In a move expected to bring joy to over 10,000 craftspeople from the region, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has applied for geographical indications (GI) – signs used on products that have a specific geographical origin – registration for two more Kashmir crafts, crewel and chain-stitch, to the Intellectual Property India (IPI).
rewel, a special kind of embroidery, is done on drapery and upholstery using a hook making floral and creeper designs, while chain-stitch is done on rugs made of hand-made cotton cloth with woollen or silken yarn.
Officials said the department of handicrafts and handloom (H&H), Kashmir, has submitted the dossier for registration of the two crafts to IPI, the Chennai-based apex body for the registration and better protection of GIs relating to goods in India.
H&H director Mahmood Ahmad Shah, said the department is working hard to get more crafts from Kashmir under the ambit of GI certification so that the genuine handicraft will get due recognition.
“There are more than 10,000 craftsmen associated with the twin crafts of crewel and chain-stitch scattered over different districts of the Kashmir region and they all shall get benefitted from the GI certification of these crafts. These crafts have an export potential of more than 200 crores,” he said.
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation, a geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin. The qualities, characteristics or reputation of the product should be essentially due to the place of origin.
Seven handicrafts made in Kashmir have already been given GI tagging by the body. Kashmir is synonymous with its kani and pashmina shawls, while walnut wood carved products are known for their intricate design, paper-mache for its detailed art and so on.
The process of GI registration of five more crafts viz Kashmir namda and gabba (two types of valley specific woolen rugs), wagguv (mat made of reed and paddy straw), shikara (pleasure boats on Dal Lake), and Kashmir willow bat is already under process and the dossier for the same had been submitted last month.
The H&H director said promotion of GI-tagged products empowers artisans, adding, “These initiatives are aimed to help recognize and promote age-old crafts and methods that are otherwise in danger of being lost due to urbanisation and industrialization.”
Echoing the sentiment, the administration said machine-made products have implied a challenge to the entire handicraft and handloom sectors, but the GI certification will go a long way in preserving the crafts and facilitate buyers in purchasing genuine products.
A success story
“One of the major success stories in recent time for crewel and chain-stitch has come from Noor Ari, a women-led producer company, which has recently collaborated with Fab India, an international brand to provide various crewel and chain stitch items,” the official said.
From the last two years, the department has been continuously upgrading the testing and labelling facilities for GI certification for different crafts. “Because of the aggressive promotion of the certification, a huge number of manufacturers and exporters are approaching the department for testing and labelling,” Shah said.
The department is also in process of launching the quick response (QR)-based GI labelling of six crafts, which was rolled out for carpets last year.