Deputy Registrar of Geographical Indications Registry (GIR), Chennai, Chinnaraja G. Naidu on Tuesday admitted that his office was not aware of violation of the GI tag of Machilipatnam Kalamkari, a textile art form.
In 2012, the Machilipatnam Kalamkari art secured the GI tag, according to which the production of Kalamkari is geographically limited to Pedana town, Machilipatnam, Polavaram and Kappaladoddi villages in Krishna district. Usage of natural colours extracted from various natural sources is the unique quality of the textile art.
Speaking to The Hindu on the sidelines of a workshop on GI Tag and benefits here on Tuesday, Mr. Chinnaraja admitted that the GIR authorities did not inspect the implementation of the GI tag of Machilipatnam Kalamkari till date, despite violation of the production procedure and usage of chemical colours replacing the natural ones.
“We did not receive any complaint on the violation of the GI tag in the case of Machilipatnam Kalamkari. The GI applicant is the guardian of the tag on the ground,” said Mr. Chinnaraja.
Ironically, in 2017, the renewal of the GI tag was done automatically without any ground level inspection by any authority, including GIR, putting no check to the existing practice of applying chemical colours and screen printing. The Vegetable Handblock Kalamkari Printers Welfare Association, Pedana, was the applicant for the GI tag and the same body got the GI tag renewed in 2017.
“Our wing of GIR under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry comprises barely two officials and one supporting staff for the entire country. We cannot keep an eye on every art or goods registered under the GIR, but will address the violation of the GI tag with the support of the local police,” Mr. Chinnaraja said. However, the applicant of the respective art or goods is entitled to proceed with the legal battle against violators of any GI tag.
In the case of Machilipatnam Kalamkari, the textile art has lost its sheen owing to the adoption of chemical colours by local production units and absence of GI tag protection measures by the respective authorities, both the applicant and GIR.