In a remarkable moment for Arunachal Pradesh, it bagged the prestigious Geographical Indication or GI tag for adi kekir or ginger, handmade carpet by Tibetan settlers and wooden items by the Wancho community, stated officials.
Adi kekir, famous for its taste and size, is a variety of ginger particularly grown in Arunachal’s East Siang, Siang and Upper Siang districts.
The Tibetan refugees spread across Arunachal are famous for manufacturing handmade carpets, which have typical designs, motifs and textures.
The unique features of Wanchoo community’s wooden items are crafting of tobacco pipes with human head-shaped bowls and drinking mugs with warriors carrying heads. Lord Buddha, animals and dolls are also crafted on these wooden items.
The State Government is receiving assistance from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development or NABARD for the initiative to encourage these items.
As among 18 such products backed by NABARD for GI registration, six have bagged the certification, the bank’s senior official termed it as “a proud moment” and ensured they “will enhance efforts in the State”.
Yak Churpi – cheese made from Arunachali yak’s milk, Khamti Rice – sticky in nature and produced in Namsai district, and Changlang district’s Tangsa textile received the GI tags previously.
GIs are covered as a part of intellectual property rights under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
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