Will protect age-old tradition of handicrafts by taking action against those making deceptive sales: KCCI

Srinagar, Aug 12: The Kashmir Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Monday said that they will form and depute a team of their members to check the sale of machine-made items being sold as Handicrafts by many shopkeepers across Kashmir.

In a press conference in Srinagar, the KCCI said that they have received reports from tourists who had been duped and deceived by shopkeepers who sold them the machine-made products while terming them as the handicrafts of Kashmir.

This despicable act, the KCCI said not only brings a bad reputation to Kashmir and its people but also discredits the age-old craft of handicrafts in Kashmir.  The sale of fake products has also affected the traders dealing in genuine handcrafted products, the KCCI said.

"Our forefather had protected this craft for over 600-years, we will not let some people to bring a bad name to the whole industry," said KCCI president Javaid Tenga.

When asked how these shopkeepers are able to dupe customers when the government has ordered GI tagging of handicraft products, Tenga said that the GI tagging is only done on 15-microns Hand-Spun and Hand-Wool, rest, he said, are not GI tagged.

If a shawl is stitched together on a machine, but the work is done by a craftsman for months, it still doesn't qualify for GI tag, and that's where the issue arises, Tenga said. This is why, he said, many handicraft products are not GI tagged.

Among the worst-hit hand-made products, KCCI members said is the Kashmiri Carpet.

The deceptive traders , KCCI said duplicate the fringes of a hand-made carpet and install it in the machine-made one, hence, making the customers believe that they are purchasing the real Kashmiri Carpet.

In past, traders here sold around 4000 real Kashmiri Carpets, however, that number has reduced to a bare minimum now, courtesy machine-made carpets being sold under the name of hand-made Kashmiri Carpets, a senior member of the KCCI told Greater Kashmir.

Terming the false sale as shameful, KCCI said that it will "take necessary steps to protect, preserve, and promote our handicrafts known across the glob for quality, material, and incomparable craftsmanship."

Introduced initially by Hazrat Shahi Hamdan Mir Syed Mir Ali Hamadani (RA) in the 14th-Century, the Kashmir handicrafts began to flourish in the 15th-century during the reign of Sultan Zain-ul- Abidin.

The handicrafts have played an important part in state economy of Kashmir, historical documents show.

The handicraft have provided employment to a various sections of society viz artisans (men and women), cottage level to trading communities and export houses which contributed to growth of handicrafts, read a statement by the KCCI.

While warning stern action against the traders involved in the deceptive practice, KCCI said that it is not against the selling of machine-made items, but that, those who sell them, should sell them with their real name and not by falsely tagging them as 'Hand-made'.

This practice of selling fake products has shattered the confidence of tourists, especially of foreigners in Kashmiri people, KCCI said.

The shopkeepers should attach proper tagging to the products, KCCI said.

If the complaints about these traders are received again, the KCCI said that they will expose these traders before the public.

About the role of the government to stop these malpractices, the KCCI said that the govt should enforce stern actions against these shopkeepers.

"They should be blacklisted and penalised heavily, the KCCI said.