Assam's famous silk recognised as unique

Muga, the unique golden-yellow silk of Assam, has been granted the GI registration. It is the first item from the state to obtain the tag.

Guwahati: In what has created passion among the traditional silk farmers of the State, Muga, the unique golden yellow silk of Assam, has been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) registration. Muga is the first item from the state to obtain the GI tag.

The Assam State Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC) said that the GI registration came through on July 20, but a formal public announcement was made on Friday.

The ASTEC officials who were instrumental in securing the GI tag said, "This registration will confer legal protection to muga in India and around the world and prevent unauthorized use."

In order to the secure registration the ASTEC even placed references from Kautilya's Arthashastra and Edward A. Gait's A History of Assam to drive home the point that muga belonged only to Assam, the officials pointed out.

The certificate of registration issued by the GI Registry of India on July 20 last, stated that muga has been registered in class 23,24,25,27 and 31 under No. 55.

The item is registered in the name of Assam Science, Technology and Environment Council (ASTEC).

This registration will cover muga cocoon, raw silk yarn and threads for textile use and textile and textile goods including shawls, dress materials, sarees, wall hangings, clothings, garments, footwears, headgear, made-ups, ties, motifs, fashion wears, quilt, furnishings and upholstery made of it.

Muga is obtained from a semi-domesticated multivoltine silkworm, called Antheraea assamensis, which again is unique only to Assam.

The peculiarity of muga is that it is durable and its natural tones of golden yel low and rare sheen become more lustrous with every wash.

Every year, Assam produces about 180-metric tonnes of muga yarn worth around Rs 100 crores. In fact, a major chunk of muga is used in the State for making ceremonial dresses required during weddings and Bihu festival.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who received the registration certificate formally at a function here on Friday stressed the need of value addition to the Muga products to exploit the international market.

According to Artfed, the apex marketing federation of weavers and handloom societies of Assam, Japan has of late emerged as the latest market, importing stocks of Rs 2 crores in 2006.

Japan was finding muga very suitable for manufacturing kimonos, white quilts, stoles, bedcovers and other items.

Assam science and technology minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the state government has decided to move Japan, European Union, the USA and the other countries seeking registration of muga with them to facilitate export of muga products under international trade conventions.

Former vice-chancellor of TamilNadu agricultural university S. Jayaraj told this newspaper that northeastern states had innumerable items, which could be registered under the GI Act.

Besides muga and eri and their products, its bodo paddy, tea, large cardamom, orchids, bio-pesticide-yielding trees like neem/melia, the hottest chilli, handloom and handicraft items and traditional knowledge-based ethnomedicines also deserve ample attention in this regard.

The nutritious value of the silk pupae of the region should also be looked into, he advised.

Source: Indianexpress