By Sheikh Imran Bashir, AIP,
Srinagar: Kashmir’s Kani Shawl has got the Geographical Indication (GI) rank that would legally prohibit people from selling duplicate Kani shawls made at other places, under the same name.
A Kani shawl is produced on a handloom from Pashmina fiber, which is known world- over as cashmere wool and comes from goats.
Kani shawls are woven on looms and also widely known as Jamawar. Two other shawls, Pashmina and Kashmiri Sozni have also got the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Director of handicrafts Kashmir , Showkat Zargar told Agence India Press, “Many people in the market have started making fake and duplicate Kani shawls, So then we thought what steps should be there to stop such practice, then we made an association ‘Tahafuz’ which means protection, with the help of Tahafuz we ask government to give Geographical Indication (GI) on Kani shawls and with that every Kani shawl will have a microchip and government has also sanctioned 40.4 million to set up a laboratory.”
The Geographical Indication (GI) tag will also help the Kani shawl to regain its rightful place in domestic and global markets.
A handicraft dealer Showkat Ahmad Peer told Agence India Press, “When a man makes something for its state or for its country, then duplicate products come in the market, so this Geographical Indication (GI) status is good, now customer will come to know about the original Kani shawls because people sell duplicate Kani shawls on street also and with the help of Geographical Indication status (GI) Customers will now come to know about the original product.”