Kashmir's famed carpet industry losing sheen

Kashmir's famed carpet industry losing sheen

Poor benefits, health hazards, lack of avenues major contributors of decline

Afsana Rashid

Ganasthan-Bandipora, Jan 18: Shifting of carpet weavers towards alternate and profitable livelihoods is likely to give a great setback to this home-based industry, here. Education becoming popular among younger generation adds to the shift. Older-generation women however, prefer to continue with it.
Fayaz Ahmad Baig, resident of Ganasthan in Sumbal in Bandipora district says that 60 percent of population today, compared to 99 percent of population till the year 2000, is engaged with carpet weaving, here. "Though it has affected carpet weaving sector as a whole, but individually people are more benefited by shifting to other alternatives."
He stated mostly carpet weavers fall within age-group 30 and above. "About 80 percent of population here falls in this category." He added out of 60 percent of population engaged with carpet weaving, 35 percent are women. "Being home-based, more women are involved in this industry. Men however, look for other alternatives."
Quoting reasons responsible for the shift, Baig said that people have shifted to other livelihoods like poultry farm that are more profitable and involve physical exercise. In carpet weaving, weavers have to sit at one place for hours together. "Now parents are more interested in sending their children to educational institutions. Media too has played a positive role in spreading education."
Role of 'wosta' (middlemen) in carpet weaving sector, according to Baig has also declined. "They earned more profits and at times exploited weavers. The communication system has played its part in minimizing role of 'wosta' as weavers can now communicate directly with customers and get better price. In past, weavers got more exploited by middlemen."
Ali Mohammad Dar, a social activist and a resident of Sheganpora, few kilometers from Ganasthan also deals with purchasing of carpets from weavers and sells them to carpet-dealers. He observes that few years back carpet weaving was common in village and young children within age group 4-7 years were also involved.
"Spread of education changed it all. Now, carpet weaving is mostly done by women," said Dar, adding "some carpet weavers shifted to other alternatives that earned them more benefits, which is a set back to it."
He argues carpet weaving is on decline. "People prefer labour work as it fetches them more money. In comparison to 50 rupees that a weaver earns per day in case of carpet weaving he earns 200 rupees per day as a labourer. Women are mostly involved in this. Parents however, prefer to get their daughters married in a family who aren't involved in carpet weaving." He said that after finishing their 8th and 10th classes girls prefer to learn cutting, tailoring and sozni work.
He added "situation is changing now. Many families are sending their daughters to school now." Quoting an example, he said that when he was studying in school, there was one girl in their class, today the roll has increased. "As the number of girls going to school increases, automatically carpet weaving will decline." He however, added that exposure is must for a change.
Dar too accepted that role of middlemen in carpet weaving has declined. "Earlier he earned more benefits. People used to take advances from middlemen, which resulted in their exploitation. Weavers were paid less wages."
"Exporters can't approach families directly. They go to middlemen, who can provide them variety of designs and bulk of production," he said.
"We are four sisters and all are engaged in carpet weaving. Our sister-in-law also weaves. We have an instructor, who gives 'taleem' (special script for carpet weaving including design and color specification used in carpets) and we follow him," said a teen-ager Shaista Bano, a local resident.
Designs like Hamdan, Goum, Chole kashna, Anari kashan, Mehraj, Sabz kashan, Seena and the size of carpet like six by nine, eight by eleven, nine by twelve, four by six, three by five are being carried forward, since ages.
Dar believes that benefits have started trickling to grass root and most weavers have stopped taking money on credit basis.
Lauding role of teachers to make children shift from carpet weaving to schools, Dar said, "Few years back, some teachers started this movement by organizing rallies and awareness programmes. This helped as parents were motivated to send their wards to schools. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and ECG centres played a pivotal role." He added that the same has affected those people who made them to weave carpets.
He observed that carpet weaving has resulted in various health problems like pain in knees, back ache and expectant mothers too faced certain problems. Quoting few examples, he said few expectant mothers in Zaloora village lost their lives while weaving carpets as they didn't follow guidelines by doctors.
"One can't weave carpet alone, so I assist my husband in carpet weaving," said Zaina Akther, a local resident, adding "three to four persons work on a loom, with one person reading out 'taleem' and others follow. 'Taleem' is must for carpet weaving."
Akther added "I wish to provide proper education to my daughters, but at the same time I feel they should learn these skills as well." One of her daughters is interested in carpet weaving but her father doesn't encourage her, she further added.
Her counterpart, Naza Bano while finding weaving easier said that she too has been associated with weaving since her childhood. "Carpet weaving is time-consuming, but it is profitable."
Her views are echoed by Arshida Bano. "More returns are earned by weaving a carpet. Almost every woman in the area weaves carpet. Younger generation isn't much interested. Usually, middleman (wosta) pays money in advance irrespective of our requirement. Often deadlines are also provided."

[State Observer]