Thanjavur dolls, Dindigul locks, Kandangi sarees: Meet the man behind Tamil Nadu’s GI tags journey

“More than 500 registrations have been handed to individuals so far,” said Gandhi. The advocate was recently appointed as a Nodal Officer for the promotion of GI products in Tamil Nadu by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami.

According to the World Trade Organisation, GI tags are place names (in some countries, also words associated with a place) which are used to identify products that come from these places and have these characteristics. The quality, reputation and other characteristics of a product can be determined by the place it comes from.

India had passed the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act in 1998.

Sanjai Gandhi has been involved in obtaining GI tags for products in the State for the last 18 years.

Elaborating on the process that has to be followed to earn a GI tag, Sanjai said that applications can only be filed for agricultural products, handicrafts, handloom products and natural goods. “GI applications cannot be filed by individual applicants. Only associations which are registered under the law can file an application for a GI tag,” added Gandhi.

The applications for Dindigul locks were filed by Hardware and Steel Furniture Workers Industrial Co-operative Society Limited in January 2013 for over 50 varieties of locks which are made by local locksmiths in Dindigul.

“We are really happy that the work by the locksmith community is being recognised. Dindigul locks are known for their durability and quality. We came to know about the GI tag after people told us that it had come in the papers. Later, an official from the GI council came and explained to us what having the GI tag means for our product,” said Venkatadachalam, a locksmith from Dindigul under the Hardware and Steel Furniture Workers Industrial Co-Operative Society Limited.

Meanwhile, the applications for Kandangi sarees was filed by Amarar Rajeev Gandhi Handloom Weavers Cooperative Production and Sales Society Limited in May 2013 for the sarees which are woven by artisans throughout Karaikudi in Sivaganga district. Once the applications have been submitted, a GI council issues a formality check report which has to be answered within 30 days. If the council finds the answers to be satisfactory, the application will be moved to the third stage, otherwise, it will be rejected.

“All our weavers are extremely happy upon receiving the GI tag for our Kandangi sarees. Having the tag is one way of stopping sales by other people who make sarees and try to sell them as Kandangi and Karaikudi sarees. I think of this as an opportunity that has been given to prevent false sales of our sarees and promote Kandangi sarees,” said Pazhaniappan, a Kandangi saree weaver.

Pazhaniappan said they had applied for the GI tag in 2013 with the help of Gandhi. Later in 2014, the advocate had taken a few sarees to New Delhi for an enquiry before the GI council. “One of the directors said that the saree was Chettinad cotton but our advocate provided ample proof and proved that the saree was indeed a Kandangi saree,” he added.

The Kandangi sarees are known for their large contrast borders, with some sarees having borders which cover about two-thirds of the saree. The cotton sarees are woven with bright colours, geometric patterns and large borders which give them their distinctive look.

Now, after the application stage, the third stage involves a consultative group meeting with a registrar and seven experts from various fields. “Next, the council will hold a consultative group meeting with a registrar and seven experts from various fields. Applicants will have to explain their products through a powerpoint presentation and answer the questions posed to them by the group. Further, they will be required to furnish evidence that proves that the product is native to the region,” explained Gandhi.

Depending upon the answers, the council may accept, reject or defer the application. If the application is accepted, the findings will be published in a public journal and if no objections are raised, the products will be registered under the GI tag. There is no specific time period involved in granting the tags.

Gandhi has been involved in securing GI tags for products in the state for the last 18 years. “After a GI tag is granted, seeing the happiness on the artisan’s face makes the whole journey worthwhile. Besides, this ensures that the next generation is also involved in making the products and ensures a secure future for them. This prompted me to take this up as a full-time profession,” he said.

Sanjai and his team of advocates at IPR have successfully obtained GI tags for Kancheepuram silk sarees, Bhavani jamakalams, Madurai sungudi sarees, Kovai kora cotton, Salem silk, Arani silk, Thanjavur paintings, Thanjavur dolls, Eathamozhy tall coconuts, Tangaliya shawls, Pattamadai pai (mats), Nachiarkoil lamps, Toda embroidery, Thanjavur veena, Mamallapuram stone sculptures, Thirubuvanam silk sarees, Kandangi sarees and Dindigul locks.

Commenting on the importance of products having a GI tag, Sanjai said that the tags help in protecting the products and preserving their nativity and ensures that the concerned community is able to make the products and make a living. Further, the GI tags ensure the continuity of the products and helps in generating employment in Tamil Nadu. “As the demand increases, production of the product will increase as well. This helps in securing employment, especially for the youth”, said Sanjai.

With EPS having appealed to people in Tamil Nadu to encourage local artisans and handicrafts by purchasing more products, Sanjai opined that having a GI tag will help in carrying out the CM’s message and promote local goods across the State.

The advocate hopes that that Centre will soon take steps to set up a market exclusively for GI products in the country and initiate action against unauthorised users of the products.

Other products in Tamil Nadu which have GI tags include Salem fabric, Coimbatore wet grinders, Nagercoil temple jewellery, Tanjavur art plates, East India leather, Swami Malai bronze icon, Nilgiris tea, Virupakshi Hill bananas, Sirumalai Hill bananas, Madurai malli (jasmine), Chettinadu hill kottan, Erode manjal (turmeric), Palani panchamirtham and Kodaikanal malai poondu (garlic).

Apart from Tamil Nadu, various states in the country have also been given GI tags for their products. These include Darjeeling Tea from West Bengal, which was the first product to receive a GI tag, Aranmula Kannadi from Kerala, Rosogolla from West Bengal, Chanderi sarees from Madhya Pradesh, Kotpad Handloom fabric from Odisha, Mysore Silk from Karnataka, Kullu shawls from Himachal Pradesh, Srikalahasthi Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh, Madhubani paintings from Bihar, Muga silk from Assam, Bastar wooden craft from Chattisgarh, Blue pottery from Jaipur, Feni from Goa and Kolhapuri chappal from Maharashtra.