GI Tag is a Disaster for the Usta Community, Says Javed Usta

Javed Usta is one of the most renowned figures of the Usta Community. He and his family have been honing this elusive art for decades. But in a recent interview with Rooftop, he opened up about how one modern addition to the art form has proven damaging to their legacy.

When he was asked about Bikaner’s GI tag for Usta art, rather than celebrating the recognition, Mr. Javed expressed deep disappointment with the way the GI tag has affected the community, calling it a disaster for the craft. A Geographical Indication (GI) tag is a form of intellectual property protection given to products that originate from a particular geographical region and possess qualities, reputation, or characteristics associated with that place. In the case of traditional art forms, a GI tag is intended to protect the identity of the craft, prevent misuse of its name, and support the artisans who have traditionally practised it.

On the surface, therefore, a GI tag for Usta art might appear to be a significant step towards protecting the craft. However, Mr. Javed believes that the reality is considerably more complicated. His concern stems primarily from the way the recognition of Usta artisans is being handled. His family, he explained, has been practising Usta Kala for generations. His father dedicated 40 years to the craft, while his uncle and other members of the family have also spent decades practising and preserving the tradition. Consequently, he believes that years of training, experience, and inherited knowledge are being reduced to something as simple as an artisan ID card.

As he put it, “After getting the GI tag, even someone who simply knows how to hold a brush, say, an amateur college student with no formal training or experience, is able to get an artisan ID card stamped as a ‘Usta artisan.’ This has become a serious problem.” For Mr. Javed, this creates a fundamental problem of authenticity. If someone with little or no training can receive the same recognition as an artisan who has spent decades learning and practising Usta Kala, the distinction between an experienced practitioner and an amateur becomes increasingly blurred.

This, in his view, could have serious consequences for Usta art as a whole. The GI tag was expected to strengthen the identity of the craft. However, instead, he feels that its current implementation risks diluting the very expertise and tradition that make Usta Kala distinctive. His concerns, however, extend beyond who is recognised as an artisan. Mr. Javed also questioned the community's role in the administration of the GI tag itself. Although he has attended a GI Council meeting, he believes that the Usta community has little meaningful representation in the process. According to him, the GI tag is being administered by an organisation that members of the community do not recognise as their own and over which they have limited influence.

Mr. Javed explained, “Whether we have the GI tag or not does not seem to make much difference. I have even attended a GI Council meeting, and the biggest issue is that the GI tag does not actually belong to or operate through our community. It has been given to an organisation that we, as a community, are not even familiar with. They are running it according to their own interests and decisions.”

Furthermore, Mr. Javed pointed to another structural problem that the Usta community lacks its own NGO or representative organisation through which it can collectively voice its concerns. As a result, he feels that the people who have spent generations practising the art have limited control over how the GI recognition is administered or, more importantly, who is ultimately recognised as a genuine Usta artisan. This raises an uncomfortable question about what a GI tag actually means for a traditional art community.

Recognition on paper may give a craft greater visibility, but its value ultimately depends on whether the people who have preserved that craft are able to participate in protecting and defining it. For Javed Usta, that is precisely where the current system falls short. What was supposed to safeguard the legacy of Usta Kala, he believes, is instead creating a situation where the definition of a Usta artisan is becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish, and where the very community that has kept the tradition alive for generations feels left out of the process.