|
An estimated one hundred thousand weavers in Andhra Pradesh may benefit from the granting of Intellectual Property Rights to the traditional tie-and-dye fabric, which has seen falling demand due to competition from cheaper powerloom fabrics
The famous Pochampally ikat tie-and-dye sari has won Intellectual Property Rights protection, perhaps the first traditional Indian craft to receive this status. The design won protection in the Geographical Indications category. This will protect the Pochampally handloom sari from unfair competition and counterfeit.
The IPR protection comes not a moment too soon for thousands of weavers of the world-famous textile. Pochampally, which gets its name from the region of its origin in the state of Hyderabad, used to be exported to many countries around the world. In recent times, however, sales have taken a big hit.
In the past decade, almost 50% of the estimated 5 lakh Pochampally weavers have had to switch to other vocations. A major reason was the copying of their designs by power mills that sold their saris at much cheaper rates. "If a sari made by a weaver costs about Rs 700, the same design copied by a powerloom costs only Rs 300. Such competition was simply killing them," says senior Andhra Pradesh cabinet minister K Rosaiah.
Under Geographical Indications, a product and its attributes are linked to a specific region; in this case the ikat fabric is linked to Pochampally. Permission allowing the trademark has come one year after it was applied for.
"We are very happy. It has come after a long fight but it has come only for the Pochampally sari. We would be really happy if all Pochampally products like dress material were also covered," says Boga Shankar, a Pochampally weaver and trader.
Chanderi silk from Madhya Pradesh and the Kanjeevaram weave from Tamil Nadu have also sought IPR protection in the Geographical Indications category. A decision on these two is still awaited.
Source: www.ndtv.com, December 14, 2004
|
