Muzamil Ahmad Shah
Srinagar: Kashmiri handicrafts, famous all over the world for splendid workmanship, are losing sheen to replica machine-made products easily available in the market.
Handicraft in Kashmir was introduced in 1384 by renowned Muslim saint Mir Syed Ali Hamadani, who had arrived from Persia. His followers later took the crafts zestfully and it improved the financial condition of the Valley.
Farooq Ahmad, a handicraft dealer from Srinagar, told INS that the trade has witnessed a major decline due to the easy availability of duplicate products.
“The tourists don’t know whether the product is original or replica, they get attracted to the art,” he said, adding, “There are black-sheep in this trade who only know how to cheat the customers.”
“Due to the presence of such people, the handicraft business has tremendously declined. This has not only affected the profession but has hit the craftsmen too,” he added.
Another handicraft dealer Ali Muhammad Shah at boulevard Srinagar said though certain portion of handicrafts remained untouched, but the introduction of embroidery machines changed entire the course of the craft. “A few years back, embroidery was done by hands but now we have machines and people prefer machine work as compared to handmade because of cheap rates,” he said.
He blamed the downward trend in sales and marketing of Kashmiri handicraft products to the intrusion of outsiders on the Kashmir’s handicrafts industry.
“These foreign elements use machinery in producing crafted works of art and then label it as pure Kashmiri product which is far from reality. They manufacture products through machine techniques with artificial material and cheat customers,” Shah said.
He said besides other handicrafts, embroidery products of Kashmir are in great demand and are known the world over.
Embroidery products include crewel, chain stitching, and Tee Koo Zee. Artisans make intricate designs with the help of a hook, locally known as Aaree.
The entrepreneurs blame the machine-made goods for the loss in their businesses and demand government should ensure the originality of production and transparency in Kashmiri handicrafts business.
Onslaught of machines
The Kashmiri artisans say they suffer the onslaught of machines.
“We have best handmade products with exquisite craftsmanship and artwork,” an artisan Irfan Ahmad Shah told INS. “A dealer dealing in Kashmiri handicrafts business should sell original products of everlasting quality for customer satisfaction and trust.”
Shah runs two shops and a showroom Kashmir Arts Emporium in Nepal and deals only with handmade products like chain stitch, crewel bed covers, crewel bags, Kani shawls, Jame Nal suits, Toosha shawls and ensured all of them are of quality stuff.
Govt’s ‘rescue’ efforts?
Concerned over the intrusion of machine-made stuff and fake Kashmiri handicraft products, the government had stepped in to “rescue” the artisans and people dealing with Kashmiri handicrafts.
The Handicraft Department had earlier last year decided to start labeling the handmade products so that those selling replicas may not be able to cheat the customers.
It had also planned to create a website for the artisans where they could sell their handicrafts online. This portal was supposed to host the profile of the artisan who makes the handicraft.
However, the move aimed to curb the exploitation of the trade, is yet to get kick-started.
Join Director Handicrafts, Nazir Ahmad, told INS that government is committed to preserving the centuries-old culture of Kashmir.
“We have sent the recommendation, of recruiting more artisans, to the administration. Once we receive the manpower, we will start the labeling and website process,” the joint director said.
