Honouring Preservation And Perseverance

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The Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian awards in the country, are conferred in three categories: Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Shri. The awards are given in various disciplines/fields, including art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. 'Padma Vibhushan' is awarded for exceptional and distinguished service; 'Padma Bhushan' for distinguished service of a high order; and 'Padma Shri' for distinguished service in any field. The awards are announced on the occasion of Republic Day each year and conferred by the President of India at ceremonial functions held at Rashtrapati Bhawan, usually around March or April. For 2025, the President approved the conferment of 139 Padma Awards: 7 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri awards. The list includes 23 women, 10 persons from the category of Foreigners/NRI/PIO/OCI, and 13 posthumous awardees.

Who is Farooq Ahmad Mir?

Farooq Ahmad Mir is a 6th-generation artisan from Srinagar's downtown, who moved to Srinagar's uptown Natipora around 12 years ago. He was born in 1953 in the Khaiwan Narwara area of Srinagar's old city. His father, Ghulam Mohammad Mir, was a noted pashmina shawl weaver, and his family has been involved in this art for five generations. Farooq Ahmad Mir was born into a poor weaver's family. He did not receive formal education, which was a distant dream for many people associated with Kashmir's art and crafts at that time. He learned shawl weaving from a young age and began working on handlooms at 14, supporting his father and uncle. Farooq Ahmad Mir has been passionate about his craft since his youth, which led him to become one of the finest weavers of locally woven shawls and to develop rare skills in creating Pashmina and Kani shawl masterpieces. Although he couldn't attend school, he worked hard to send his younger siblings to school, including three brothers and two sisters. Over his 60-year career, Farooq Ahmad Mir has directly taught almost 350 artisans and indirectly passed on the skill of Kani shawl making to thousands of weavers. In the past two to three decades, handmade goods have seen high demand in international markets, and Farooq Ahmad Mir was one of the pioneers who helped preserve, protect, and propagate this heritage. He not only saved this legacy but also passed it on to his three sons-Majid Mir, Altaf Mir, and Fayaz Mir-who are all experienced Kani shawl weavers and national awardees.

Mir: A Sant Kabir Awardee

Farooq Ahmad Mir has worked passionately to keep the Kani shawl art form alive. He empowered hundreds of young men and women, enabling them to earn their livelihood through this art. The weavers of Kanihama in Budgam had kept the Kani shawl tradition alive for years, and that is why the village is known as Kanihama. Srinagar also had reputed Kani shawl artisans, but by the late 1980s, the art began to decline. Mir took the initiative to introduce new designs and trained many people in Srinagar's downtown, including his sons. He never urged his sons to pursue government or private jobs, but instead guided them to learn this art. Farooq sahib had been awarded in the past but always remained a low-profile figure, with little media coverage of his work. I came into contact with him through his son, Fayaz, whom I have known for the last 15 years. When I saw Fayaz and his brothers working on their Kani looms, I was amazed by their skills. I began sharing their work with my friends and family. Fayaz told me that his guru was his father, which further facilitated my understanding. Farooq Ahmad Mir was conferred with a National Award in 2007, the Thakur Ved Ram National Award in 2011-2012, the Kamala Award (Shanta Prasad Award) in 2018, and the prestigious State Award for excellence in Arts & Crafts in 2019. He was also the recipient of the National Award in Kani Shawl art from the Government of India (under the Ministry of Textiles) and was awarded the Sant Kabir Award in 2014, which was presented to him by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015 during a grand function in Chennai.

Struggle of Kashmiri Artisans Recognized

While Farooq Ahmad Mir was conferred with the Padma Shri Award in 2025, recognizing his work over the past six decades, the struggle of Kashmiri artisans is also being acknowledged by both the Government of India and the Jammu & Kashmir Government. Mukhtar Ahmad Bhat from Sonpah, Beerwah, and Mushtaq Ahmad Khan from Badamwari Srinagar were nominated for State Awards by the J&K Government for their contributions to Sozni and Kani shawl weaving. The Director of Handicrafts and Handloom, Kashmir, Mussarat ul Islam, recently praised all the awardees for bringing laurels to Kashmir's Handicrafts and Handloom sector. He personally visited Farooq Ahmad Mir's house to congratulate him. LG Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah also praised the efforts of Farooq Ahmad Mir and other artisans.

Conclusion

The Kani shawls and other handloom products made by Farooq Ahmad Mir and his sons Majid, Altaf, and Fayaz are not only sold in the national market but also have international buyers, including the Ambani family. Unfortunately, our art is being hijacked by vested interests who sell machine-made products as Kashmiri handwoven items. Farooq Ahmad Mir, his sons, and many local handicraft businessmen like Manzoor Wangnoo have been vocal about this issue. They have raised concerns, but the government has yet to address this matter seriously. I appreciate the Government of India for conferring the Padma Shri to Farooq Ahmad Mir and the J&K Government for nominating other artisans for state awards. I am confident this recognition will mobilize and motivate those artisans and weavers who feel they are being pushed to the wall, boosting their morale and encouraging them to continue their trade and elevate it in the coming years and decades.

• 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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