The fame of Gujarati handicraft has reached far and wide and doesn't need any kind of introduction. The elaborate, rich and colourful embroidery, magnificent mirror work and bandhani of Kutch and Jamnagar have appreciators in different parts of the world.
These art forms have been passed on from one generation to another, which makes them stand out from the crowd. Bandhani is a popular tie and dye method that is practiced by Sindhis, Muslims and Khatris of Kutch. The wide range of garments that are made using this technique includes dress materials, dupattas, sarees, lengha and cholis which are available in cotton and silk fabrics.
However, the traditional work of art is in extreme danger now as cheap quality imitations are available in the market that are hampering the image of bright and beautiful original bandhani that has taken Gujarat on global level.
The Government has finally come forward to save the original craft of the state which has become a sort of trademark. The Commerce Ministry has suggested to the World Trade Organization (WTO) to cover Bandhani in the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Geographical Indication (GI) for saving the antique craft.
In order to gain more information on how the authorities plan to fight against this duplication, Fibre2fashion contacted Mr R M Shanker, Incharge, CL Centre Management Atira (The Ahmedabad Textile Industry's Research Association). Mr Shanker stated, "The Government is working to register ancient bandhani under GI along with other 5,000 textile items. The Commerce Industry of several countries is sketching out ways for the betterment of several industries and textile sector is one of them. This project is handled by UN, under IPR and Atira is only a facilitator."
While discussing about the advantages of GI, Mr Shanker divulged, “Once the registration is done, duplication of items will not be possible as geographical areas for product and process would be clearly defined. Products will have Trade mark and Pattern copyright, as a result, quality of fabric will be assured and action will be taken against those who don't follow the set norms.”
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India
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