Latest news with #Anandarajan
New Indian Express
09-08-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Salem's Silver anklets await GI tag amidst documentation delays
SALEM: Despite an application filed nearly three years ago, Salem's silver anklets are still awaiting a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The delay is attributed to a lack of documentary evidence needed to establish the craft's antiquity and uniqueness. This is a significant hurdle, even though the city is one of India's largest hubs for silver anklet manufacturing. Manufacturers explain that while the craft has been practiced for generations, most units are small-scale and operated by artisans without formal education. C Sri Anandarajan, president of the Salem District Kolusu Manufacturers Kaivinai Sangam, notes, "Proper documentation of manufacture and sales does not exist because our business has never been formally recorded. The GI registry requires evidence that the product has existed in a specific geography for at least 25 years." Unlike gold, which has the BIS 916 hallmark, silver jewellery in India has no uniform quality standard. A GI tag would enforce standardisation and boost the reputation of Salem's silver anklets. Potential overseas markets include Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam. "Currently, silver anklets made in Salem are exported via other states and lose their identity in the process. If the GI tag is granted, it would mandate quality benchmarks and enable Salem anklets to stand out distinctly in international markets," Anandarajan added. The absence of formal recognition has made the profession unattractive to younger generations. Senior manufacturers fear they might be the last generation in this field, with many artisans shifting to daily wage jobs like painting or working at petrol bunks. Salem is home to nearly 10,000 units involved in the silver anklet trade, employing around 1.15 lakh people, which includes 78% men and 22% women. The manufacturing process is spread across different localities, with each step handled by a specialised group. Over 15 types of silver anklets are made, including the unique 'Thalakkolusu', an anklet for infants. This special design loosens as a child grows, allowing it to be used for up to four years.
The Star
09-05-2025
- The Star
Flights to India and Pakistan take a hit as travellers cancel trips
KLANG: Although southern India is not affected by India-Pakistan fighting, flights there are also seeing a drop in passengers as Malaysians get jittery about going to the sub-continent. Flights to the north of India have already been cancelled. Many who had planned to travel to southern India were cancelling their bookings despite having paid for their tickets, says travel agency owner A. Anandarajan. 'India-Pakistan fighting has always been between the armies but this time, tourists were targeted. That is why people are afraid,'' said Anandarajan, 50. The ongoing war was sparked by a terrorist attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22, with 26 civilians killed. 'Unfortunately, the airlines will not reimburse their tickets, as the airports to which these clients were supposed to fly are not closed,' he said. India has shut down several airports in northern and western regions, including those in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. However, airports in central and southern India remain open. S. Kathiravan, 50, another travel agency owner, said his business will drop by at least 40% due to the conflict. 'A lot of people have cancelled their bookings and stopped their queries to travel to India. 'We now have to convince our clients to change their holiday travel plans to other parts of the world,'' he added. Kathiravan said his office has been receiving dozens of calls daily since the closure of the airports were announced. 'Even those who had booked to go to south India want to cancel,'' he said, echoing Anandarajan. Pakistanis, however, are still travelling home despite the war, said Tamin, a manager at a travel agency. 'Most of them work in Malaysia and we usually book them on Malindo Air, which has now been temporarily suspended. We are putting them on Pakistan International Airlines which is our only option,'' said Tamin. However, he added his business was still affected as non-Pakistanis had cancelled their plans. 'We also arrange trips and tours to Amritsar in Punjab. That has been badly affected,'' he added. Meanwhile, travel agency owner Kuldeep Singh, 60, based in Amritsar in Punjab, said he was expecting to face big losses due to the airport closures and trip cancellations. He said that Indians, especially Sikhs, from other parts of the world have also cancelled bookings due to the armed conflict.
