Perseverance Of Kashmir Artisans Finally Recognized

Kashmir
has been known for its natural beauty since ages. In Spite of the fact that we had so much to showcase vis a vis
culture , heritage , food , arts and crafts etc but these were not recognized due to various reasons. Kashmir is like a treasure trove of multiple things but our own people in government and other institutions failed to take Kashmir to the global level. We had so much to portray but we could only sell Dal Lake, Shalimar garden, Nishat garden , Pahalgam and Gulmarg to the tourists. Why are international tourists not visiting Kashmir now ? It is not because of security concerns but the reality is that we didn't promote Kashmir in a way it should have been in the last 30 to 40 years. There are the best alps , lakes and mountains in other parts of the world especially Europe and foreign and high end domestic tourists don't come to Kashmir to see them now. These things would fascinate them maybe until late 1980's or early 1990's but not now ? The
people across the globe need to be made aware about our 4000 year old history. We have so much to offer in the categories of culture , arts , crafts , food etc. Our Srinagar old city is itself a heritage city but our governments in the past didn't know how to promote and project it ? I must give credit to Mr Saleem Beg, former DG Tourism J&K who worked hard in the last 15 to 20 years to promote our culture and heritage. As head of INTACH Jammu & Kashmir chapter he has done great work. People like Dr Hakim Sameer Hamdani are also doing incredible work and very recently he organised
first
ever
open exhibition
in Srinagar on calligraphy and allied things. The
calligraphic inscriptions on historic buildings, including khanqahs, mosques, temples, shrines, and mausoleums of Kashmir
were portrayed before august audience at Emporium Gardens Srinagar.

Handicrafts & Handloom Department

The work done by Mr Mahmood Shah as Director Tourism and presently as Director Handicrafts and Handlooms is also remarkable. This has paved the way for Srinagar getting its recognition which it should have got decades back. Sometimes I wonder why Srinagar didn't get recognition under the Gastronomy (Food) category like Hyderabad in the creative cities network ? We can compete in that category as well. Our Kashmiri wazwan is much richer culturally than Hyderabadi food ?

Kashmir has much more to showcase but that couldn't happen in the past. We have been bestowed with everything like natural beauty , arts , crafts , food etc etc. Why wasn't all this recognized in the past ? The reason I see is that Govt officers in Handicrafts , Handlooms, Tourism and Culture didn't explore possibilities to showcase Kashmir in a more presentable way. Lack of technological interventions can also be a reason. Our officers in J&K worked in a typical
babu
style rather than doing research and development in the past. They didn't get a chance to participate in workshops and seminars at national and international level. They were not exposed to the outside world and this made them like a Frog in Well ? unfortunately !

Same thing happened with our artisans as well. They had great skills but their talent remained hidden and unexplored for decades. We have people like Farooq Ahmad Mir from Srinagar old city who was conferred the prestigious Sant Kabir award in Handloom category (Kani Pashmina) in 2014 by the President of India, but how much was written about this great artisan in local press or media ? Mir sahib is 5th
generation Kanishawl weaver and he has kept the tradition alive that has now passed on to his 6th
generation. His sons Majid , Altaf and Fayaz are also great artisans and Kani Shawl weavers who have been conferred national awards in this category but they also are like unsung heros. I believe during the last 10 to 15
years only most of our artisans were recognized at national level which is really unfortunate.
We have many such people in Kashmir and I believe their talent will get exposed to the outside world now after
Srinagar got recognized as World Craft City

World Craft City is innovative work that was
launched
in 2014 by the
World Crafts Council
also called WCC International. The Convener of
Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTAC)
Jammu
&
Kashmir, Saleem Beg
while interacting with media recently
said the international jury of the
World Crafts Council
WCC were surprised by the art and crafts of
Kashmir and were surprised to see the hidden treasures of Kashmiri arts and craft which according to them had remained hidden from the outside world. The WCC Jury had visited Srinagar in April this year and
a number of craft products of Kashmir including
Pashmina Shawls, Kani Shawls ,
Papier-Machie, Hand Knotted Carpets, Pashmina Shawls,
and Sozni work
were examined by them. The jury members were stunned and surprised to see the fine work done by our respected artisans.

Conclusion

As Srinagar gets recognized as the World Craft City, I appreciate the role played by 20,000 artisans of Srinagar. These are the people who kept the Kashmiri handicraft art alive even after facing huge challenges during last several decades. Infact many people belonging to traditional artisan communities shifted and switched their profession but we must applaud those who remained steadfast and kept the tradition alive. Farooq Ahmad Mir's educated sons Majid, Altaf and Fayaz could have opted for some other job but they worked like torch bearers of this sector. We have many such people like them in Kashmir who didn't give up.
Now it is imperative upon the artisans and traders of handicrafts especially to promote and propagate genuine Kashmiri products and ensure no cheating is done with customers. There are reports that duplicate products are being sold
in the market
calling them Kashmiri handmade items. This illegal trade must end and Govt particularly the Handicrafts and Handlooms department plus Craft Development Institute have a more challenging task now to accomplish so that we maintain decorum and sanctity of our Kashmiri handicraft and handloom products.

• Views expressed in the article are the author's own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer

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