Guwahati, Dec 14: The Geographical Indication Registry has finally granted Assam’s gamosa, the GI (geographical indication) status to Assam’s gamosa, five years after the state directorate of handloom and textiles had placed an application requesting the GI tag for the intricately woven cloth traditionally offered to elders and guests as a mark of respect and honour.
A GI is primarily an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicraft and industrial goods) originating from a definite geographical territory.
Reacting to the significant development, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had posted on Twitter: “A day of pride for Assam, as our gamosa gets a Geographical Indication tag by the Government of India. Grateful to PM Narendra Modi ji for always giving a place of prestige to this integral symbol of Assamese glory.”
Taking to Twitter, Union minister and former Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “Assam’s pride, shining bright! Due recognition of our heritage and cultural identity. Gamosa gets the GI tag, bringing joy to thousands of weavers of this special item that has become a global symbol of Assam. Congratulations to all.”
Weavers rejoice
Indeed, weavers in the state who have been at the receiving end in the wake of alleged “duplicate” products from outside the state making their way to the markets here, are now heaving a sigh of relief.
“We are very happy now as Assam’s gamosa finally has a definite identity. This also implies that cheaper, duplicate items from other parts of the country, which were being illegally sold to gullible customers as gamosas, would not be accepted by knowledgeable consumers henceforth as they cannot be sold anymore as gamosas of Assam,” Hiralal Kalita, a master weaver and secretary of the Sualkuchi Tat Silpa Unnayan Samiti, told The Shillong Times on Wednesday.
The GI (GI number 594 belonging to class 24 of the registry) for the ‘Gamosa of Assam’ has been registered in the name of the state directorate of handloom and textiles.
“With the GI tag, it goes without saying that the demand for gamosas across the globe will increase and weavers will be benefitted as they will get rates which they deserve. The state government needs to generate more awareness among the weavers on the GI registration process and promote the item through various means so that the benefits can be availed of by the weavers,” Kalita said.
“In Sualkuchi, which is known for traditional silk products, we mainly deal in silk gamosas. But yes, we do sell cotton gamosas, which are woven primarily in the periphery areas of Sualkuchi such as Bamundi, Ramdia, Nalbari, et al. Now, with the GI status, we are looking to execute the formal process of application before the authorised proprietor (the directorate) to be able to get the certificate (GI number and tag) and eventually become registered users,” he said.