NEW DELHI: There was nothing sweet left in the bitter skirmish that ensued over the origins of rasgulla (rôshogolla for the Bengalis) between West Bengal and Odisha. While the former basked in sweet victory, the latter seethed bitterly as the Geographical Indication Registry settled the score squarely by according the GI tag to West Bengal on November 14. Though the fight fizzled out soon, the patent battle is far from a sweet ending as Odisha has not given up its claim over rasgulla.
What is GI?
The GI stamp is a mark of authentification that assigns products to their precise geographical location. This could be a country or a small town. Once a product meets the geographical standards, it gets a stamp of approval from the government and it becomes synonymous with the region. In India, the practice of demarcations based on Geographical Indications came about on September 15, 2003. It patents goods and disallows the use of its name by any unauthorised persons. Darjeeling tea was the first product to receive GI tag in India.
Many narratives
The GI debate has shown how India seizes to be united by its gastronomic diversity but divided by its individual geographical identity. “Mysore Pak is to us what rasgulla is to Bangalis,” Rakshita Swamy, a modernist painter from Mysore in Karnataka.
Caught the middle of this verbal swordplay are helpless artisans who do n’t care for the legality of the matter, but want the authorities to safeguard their traditions from extinction. “Whether a resolution is passed on the matter or not, it doesn’t affect us as long as the authority protects our traditions,” says Arissa Lotha, a craftswoman from Nagaland.
She makes Chakhesang shawls which was the third product from the region to acquire the GI status in October this year, after the Naga King Chilli and Tree Tomato. “India is divided because of our shortages and that’s the reason we see these tug of wars for special status. What’s required is to promote products as crafts of India, and not just crafts of a particular city/state,” she says.
“The elevated status that a GI mark gives to merchandise is not questionable. It upgrades its market value and the artisans or producers working with it are simultaneously upraised. They have a better chance at bargaining with retailers. And since, at the moment, the market is not conducive to lucrative sales, lack of GI sets an artist further back,” says Fashion Designer Gautam Gupta.
Mark of empowerment
The GI has given each of its 316 regions something to call their own. These products have become their crowning glory. While Kashmir has the famous Pashmina, it also has the lesser known needle-work craft by the name of Kashmir Sozani. It is derived from the Kashmiri word sozan which ‘the wise one’. The wise men show their dexterity in this craft, thus the word has formed a deep association with the craft.
The Kullu Shawl from Himachal Pradesh is another great example of how regional distinction helps the local economy.
Thousands of locals are involved in this 200-year-old weaving practice. “Our brand value was taking a hit as small-time retailers started selling original-looking machine made copies for a fraction of the price,” says Zoya Sheikh, a weaver from the Anni town in Kullu district. But the GI Act of 1999 has registered Kullu shawls, stoles, mufflers and scarves with the Kullu Shawl Weavers logo as bonafide.
Phulkari, the embroidery technique using colourful silk threads, is Punjab’s patented craft. Softwood Etikoppaka toys from Andhra Pradesh are the pride of the little village in Visakhapatnam from which they derive their name. It’s a 400-year-old craft that uses natural dyes.
“For an industry that’s still largely unorganised, it’s difficult to document how many craftsmen the GI is impacting quantitatively. But one thing’s for sure, it has made sellers enormously aware. Says Bilas Sharma, a Solapur Pomegranate trader from Maharastra, “I can ask for its worth in the market without having to bicker endlessly.” Likewise, the Vengurla Cashew, Sangli Raisins, Lasalgaon Onions, Dahanu Gholvad Chikoo, Beed Custard Apple, Jalna Sweet Orange, Jalgaon Banana, Purandar Fig and the Jalgaon Bharit Brinjal—all wear the GI as a badge of pride.
The Banarasi silk of Uttar Pradesh joined its counterparts such as Pochampally Ikat from Telangana, Chanderi saris from Madhya Pradesh and Mysore Silk from Karnataka by securing GI tag in 2009. “There are officially only six identified districts of UP, i.e., Varanasi, Mirzapur, Chandauli, Bhadohi, Jaunpur and Azamgarh districts, that fall under the GI stamping category. But weaving happens outside the villages as not every weaver can come to these cities. They lose out on business and it impacts their morale and financial status,” Gupta says.
Economic paradigm
The GI tags are not just about natively grown, developed or nurtured products. They must leverage their position to contribute to the overall economy. The added quality, merit and monetary value that a GI tag extends to a product must facilitate adequate generation of money, increase employment, create new jobs and foster a profitable national environment. However, that’s not the case with most GI registered products in India.
While they are valuable to the specific region, they don’t do much for the country’s composite fiscal growth like French Champagne does for France or the Swiss watch for Switzerland. It’s a long way before India’s GIs like Kerala’s Navara Rice and Rajasthan’s Bikaneri Bhujia can claim to contribute to the GDP.
As a start, the GI mark needs to be prominently displayed on products. There is an urgent need to strengthen the legal structure of GIs to ensure quality is not compromised. And more regions need to be marked with GIs to bring products on the radar.
