Srinagar, Jan 16: Valley’s apex business chamber, the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry has expressed serious concern over what it said the misbranding of Kashmir handmade items, particularly shawls and stoles.
 At a meeting here today with senior vice president KCCI Abdul Hamid Punjabi in chair, the members said the machine-made of China and Amritsar were being sold under the label of Kashmir-made. They said the misbranding of Kashmiri shawls and stools had become a big challenge for the entire handicraft industry.
 The meeting among others was attended by senior member Abdul Majid Matto, past KCCI president Dr A M Mir, and several other executive committee members. Present in the meeting were also a large number of exporters of hand-made embroidered shawls, representatives of shawl weavers, etc.
 The members said: A large population of artisans spread across all districts of the Valley were earning their livelihood from the age-old heritage craft. “The infiltration of ‘fake’ shawls which are made in Amritsar and some parts of China snatched the livelihood of these people,” they said.
 Representatives of the Shawls Makers Association said the association had previously met the minister for Industries and Commerce requesting him to ban the use of machine-made embroidered shawls and stoles in Kashmir.
 “Although the minister assured us that our problems will be addressed, so far nothing has been done,” they said.
 The members resolved to create general awareness about the ‘fake’ shawls and other handicrafts items being sold in the name of Kashmir.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 IST