KL Report
SRINAGAR
Expressing serious concern over the injustices met by people related to Pashmina industry at the hands of state government, APHC Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Tuesday said the centuries old craft was being slowly smothered due to anti-craftsmen policies currently pursued by the authorities.
Stressing that use of power loom machines in pashmina weaving was one of the main reasons behind the declining Pashmina craft, Mirwaiz stated that as a result the industry is drying and thousands of people and craftsmen involved in the pashmina industry were being rendered unemployed.
A delegation of Pashmina weavers from Srinagar Tuesday called on the Mirwaiz and discussed with him the problems faced by them due to anti-craftsmen policies of the government. They told Mirwaiz that government was making false claims of prorecting the industry and the interest of the weavers.
Mirwaiz while ensuring the delegation that he would raise his voice against the injustices met by the pashmina craftsmen, said that this craft of Pashmina weaving along with other handicrafts was brought by Shah-I-Hamadan Mir Syed AlI Hamdani (RA) to kashmir and which laurels and revolution to the economy of Kashmir.
He emphasised that it was criminal on the part of the Govt. and the departments of Handicrafts and Industries to remain insensitive to the slow death of the centuries old pashmina industry of Kashmir. He said if the Govt cannot act to preserve this industry then they should put shutters on the handicraft and industries departments.
