Varanasi :
Crossing the geographical boundaries, the signature products of Varanasi region are all set to catch the attention of international audience at the 55th General Assembly of International Bureau of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland. A three member delegation including two artisans left the city on Sunday to take part in WIPO event from October 5 to 10.
“The Banarasi artisans will exhibit some of the famed products in the ‘Make in India -Geographical Indication of India’ event at Geneva”, said the team leader and president of Human Welfare Association (HWA) Rajni Kant before leaving the city. “It is really a proud movement for the artisans that they were invited by the WIPO, one of the specialized agencies in United Nation. It is a recognition of the eastern UP’s GI products at international level,” said a jubilant Kant.
With him the two master craftsmen – Kunj Bihari Singh from Varanasi and Sohit Kumar Prajapati from Nizambad, (Azamgarh) left for Geneva with their artifacts. Kunj Bihari is known for his mastery over the art of Gulabi meenakari (pink enameling), and Sohit is a craftsman of black pottery of Nizamabad. They will give live demonstrations of Gulabi Meenakari and Black Pottery in the front of international audience. For them the trip to Geneva is like a lifetime achievement. “We had never thought of participation in such an international event,” said Kunj Bihari. An art piece made by Kunj Bihari -a replica of pink enameled rickshaw was presented to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the city on September 18.
According to Kant, this event is supported by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India in collaboration with WIPO. “This event will create a great opportunity to the GI registered products of the country, mainly the hand-woven and handicrafts products will get maximum benefit to show-case at Geneva where nearly 170 country will represent in this international event,” he said adding that five other artisans from other parts of the country will also take part in the event with their traditional products. “It is for the first time when the real artisans are participating in this type of international event which is exclusively organize on the issue of Intellectual Property Right (IPR),” said Kant, who played a key role in getting GI tags to many products of this region. Varanasi has emerged as a hub of GI registered products.
According to him, some of the products of this region like Banaras Brocades and Sarees, Handmade carpet of Bhadohi, Banaras Gulabi Meenakari, Wooden Lacquer ware & Toys, Mirzapur handmade Dari and Black Pottery will display there with other GI products of the country. “We are grateful to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and WIPO to provide us this opportunity for creating new dimensions at international level for the traditional weavers and artisans of the GI registered products under Make in India initiative, and we hope that after this initiative, the artisans and weaves will get a new market through GI as a brand and millions of the weavers and artisans and consumers will be directly benefited under “Make in India – Geographical Indication of India,” he said.
source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / The Times of India / News Home> City> Varanasi / by Binay Singh, TNN / October 04th, 2015