Text and photos by Mugais Malik
Kashmir has long been known for its arts and crafts, which bear heavy influence from Persia, now known as Iran. The history of its arts and culture actually goes back to the 14th century, when a Muslim saint — Mir Syed Ali Hamdani, known as Shah-e-Hamdan — brought skilled artists from Persia to Kashmir. Recognized as being responsible for the spread of Islam in the region, he is also credited for introducing different crafts to Kashmiris. These include those now collectively known as Kashmiri arts and crafts, such as papier mâché, carpet weaving, and woodcarving. To this day, traditional Persian patterns and colors are still evident in the crafts; these have been further enhanced by distinct Kashmiri touches that take inspiration from the local surroundings. Lotus flowers are thus prevalent in many Kashmiri crafts, as are chinar and almond trees.
Located in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent, Kashmir is claimed by both Pakistan and India. Each country occupies portions of the region, with its respective military forces on guard. Indian-controlled Kashmir has been plagued with insurgency for decades, but Kashmiri artisans were able to survive even that, as well as natural disasters, such as the devastating 2014 flood.
These days, however, Kashmiri artisans say that they are no longer confident that they can keep on doing their crafts. Aside from being forced to compete with products made with machines, they say that they have not had much support from local authorities.
The pandemic has made matters worse, as has the 2019 abrogation of Article 370 of the Indian Constitution, which gave autonomy to the state of Jammu and Kashmir. With the revocation of Article 370 had come a total communications lockdown, which meant services for the internet, mobile phones, and fixed telephone lines were suspended.
The communications ban was lifted several months later, but the block on high-speed 4G internet lasted a year. The effect of the lockdown is still being felt by local businesses — among them those in the arts and crafts — which lost contracts during that period and have yet to make up for those unrealized deals. Papier mâché artist Kausar Ahmed Shah, who has been in the industry for more than 35 years, says businesses like his suffered “as we could not communicate with our customers in international markets.”
The region has also become more unstable and violence has gotten worse. Inbound tourist figures have plummeted, and export orders have all but dried up. As a consequence, many artisans are now looking for odd jobs to make ends meet. Mohammed Maqbool Jan, another highly skilled papier mâché artist, says, “Artisans are struggling to feed their families because of the crisis.”
Shahnawaz Ahmed Sofi, a specialist in fine arts and calligraphy-embedded carpet design, adds: “When the pandemic began, many orders were canceled, which resulted in us not being able to pay our artisans on time. Hopefully, we will be able to resume normal business operations soon.”
Many other artisans, however, have become pessimistic about the future of their crafts, saying that there are too few among the Kashmiri youths who are interested to learn their skills. Master woodcarver Mohudin Shah, for instance, says that no one has ever come to learn from him. “My type of work will vanish as the skill will no longer be possessed by anyone, and therefore no one will be able to do it,” he says. “No one is interested in learning.”
Ghulam Nabi Dar, another master woodcarver, says that it would help a lot if the government took the initiative to spark interest in the art among the youth. “The government must start a school related to art for the young generation to participate because then they can also start their own workshops and this art will not disappear,” says the 55-year-old. “Young people need to know their own culture and tradition. It has been unfortunate that no such initiative has been taken to educate them on their culture and art.”
Kausar Ahmed Shah is a veteran artist of papier mâché, one of Kashmir’s foremost handmade products. Kashmiri papier mâché is usually made in private workshops. They can now only be found in Alamgari Bazar and Zaidibal areas in downtown Srinagar due to a decline in demand for the art.
Papier mâché master Mohammed Maqbool Jan says that the government “should find new ways to teach young people about this art so that it can continue to thrive.”
The craft of kani pashmina weaving has been passed down for generations since the 15th century. However, it is disappearing because young Kashmiris are no longer interested in carrying on the legacy of their forefathers. Shawls and carpets made by machines are becoming more and more common in Kashmir, and are sold as “handcrafted” goods.
Farooq Ahmed, who has spent 35 years in the carpet industry, says, “The wages we make for making carpets and shawls are comparatively very less than the rates that unskilled workers earn in a day. There is no point in ruining your sight and breaking your back for such inadequate sums.”
Shahnawaz Ahmed Sofi has had 15 years of experience in calligraphy-embedded carpet design.
Kashmir is well-known for its woodcarving tradition. Ghulam Nabi Dar, 55, is one of the valley’s master craftsmen in the art of woodcarving. He began honing his skills in the art at the age of 10.
Woodcarving used to be a means of livelihood for thousands of people in the valley, but the number of those doing the craft is rapidly dwindling due to a lack of interest among the younger generation. Master woodcarver Mohudin Shah says, “The younger generation does not want to sit for 12 hours a day in one place.” ●
Mugais Malik is a freelance multimedia journalist based in Kashmir, India.
