Rethinking the efficacy of GIs in handloom, Centre bets on ‘Handloom Mark’
Limitations of GIs in practice are a dime a dozen in the South Asian context. Rethinking the efficacy of GIs, the Government has introduced ‘Handloom Mark’ to identify products woven on handlooms as 11 textiles articles with some technical specifications are exclusively reserved for production on handlooms.
Geographical indications (GIs) are widely perceived to provide prospects for new forms of rural development, community identity, preservation of cultural traditions, and even the conservation of biological diversity when the production of goods encourages the stewardship rather than the depletion of the natural resources from which they are made.
65 significant traditional handloom products are registered under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999
The Government has been implementing the Handlooms (Reservation of Articles for Production) Act, 1985 for the production of reserved items only on Handlooms and to protect the interest of handlooms, weavers, in the country.11 textiles articles with some technical specifications are exclusively reserved for production on handlooms. Central Assistance is provided under the Scheme to eligible State Governments for effective implementation of the Act.
The Government has introduced ‘Handloom Mark” to identify products woven on handlooms. Awareness creation activities are carried out from time to time to popularise these measures.
Inspections are carried out in the field by respective State Handloom Departments and field offices of the Central Govt. for enforcing the provisions of the Act.
To protect weavers’ interests against illegal manufacturing,65 important and famous traditional handloom products have been registered under the Geographical Indications (GI) of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999. Registered users of GI products have rights under the Act to approach the respective police authorities to safeguard their interests against illegal manufacturing/marketing of GI registered handloom products.
According to the statement submitted by the Ministry of Textiles in Parliament, State Handlooms & Textiles Departments have been advised to make special efforts to provide protection to such GI-registered handloom products.
Some of the textiles which are portected under Geographical Indications include Kotpad tribal textile designs, designs from Sambalpuri, Berhampuri, Bomkei, Nuapatna and Sonepuri from Orissa, Jamnagar bandhini artisans and Ajrak printing from Kutch, Gujarat, Munga Silk from Assam, Banrasi silk, Mysore Silk and many others.
Image by Sai Silks Kalamandir
