J&K CM Omar Abdullah To Take Action Against Showrooms Misbranding Machine Made Carpets

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir’s Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has taken a tough call amidst increasing outrage over machine-made carpets being passed off as authentic Kashmiri handmade rugs, according to Greater Kashmir. During a meeting held at the civil secretariat with a delegation of carpet manufacturers and exporters, Srinagar’s CM directed the Industries and Commerce Department to act firmly against showrooms and retail outlets involved in this malpractice. The CM is reported to have said in the meeting, “These fake carpets damage the global brand of Kashmiri handmade carpets and directly impact the thousands of artisan families who depend on this craft for their livelihood.”

What led the government to take action against surge of machine-made carpets?

The government has launched a crackdown against the increase of machine-made carpets after the handicraft authorities had blacklisted a craft dealer according to a Hindustan Times report. The report mentioned that the craft dealer was selling a machine-made carpet as handmade for Rs 2.5 lakh in North Kashmir’s Tangmarg. Former chairperson of Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Sheikh Ashiq has asked government and industry stakeholders to take immediate action to take action against the surge of counterfeit and machine-made carpets marketed as genuine Kashmiri handicrafts.

How to identify genuine Kashmiri rug?

The official website of Carpets of Kashmir states that one should look closely at the back of the rug to examine the knots to identify the genuine Kashmiri rug. It is because genuine Kashmiri rugs typically feature intricate, symmetrical knots that are tightly woven and uniform in size. A high knot count per square inch indicates superior craftsmanship and quality. Instead, the machine-made rugs generally have a more uniform and symmetrical appearance compared to hand-knotted rugs, with consistent patterns and spacing.

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