Srinagar, June 27: The Chamber of Commerce and Industries-Kashmir (CCIK) has asked the government to come up with clear format on branding ‘fake shawls’ saying methods and strategy have to be devised.
 At a meeting  of the members of  the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industries-Kashmir(CCIK) which was held recently and chaired by its Muhammad Afzal Parray, it asked the government to come out with an advisory asking the traders to make correct representation of products they sell.
 “For this purpose methods and strategy have to be devised in consultation with Trade Bodies to see that the products are not mis-represented,” he said in a statement.
 “The officials do not lose any time to pat their backs at the success of the tourism season. Each department comes out with rosy picture of the tourist inflow and state that this had become possible by and through their efforts only. But at the same time they themselves negate their own efforts towards this industry by projecting the traders, dealers and businessmen of Kashmir of nearly being dis-honest.”
 “Day in and day out one or the other department comes out with threatening notices and infos asking the traders not to sell fake shawls. We at this Chamber have not been able to understand as to what fake shawl would mean. To our mind a shawl is a shawl is a shawl.  Selling a shawl or other items of embroidery or handicrafts is not any illegal activity, we guess. What is perhaps unbecoming and unethical is the misrepresentation of the products.”
 CCIK urged members,  traders and businessmen to do some self-introspection and create self-quality consciousness, saying otherwise the markets of handicraft products would shrink and dry up.
 “With all the authority at our command we say that there was a dire need   to subject ourselves to self-control  before it becomes too late for us.  Import and sale of shawls from various cities of Punjab have already added to the downward trend in the market share,” Parray added.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 27 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 28 Jun 2011 00:00:00 IST