Kashmir’s famous arts and crafts which has won over millions of happy prospective buyers across decades now gets a new fillip as the National Institute of Fashion & Technology hosts has started promoting it now. The National Institute of Fashion & Technology which has been at the forefront of bridging the gap between the raw skills of craftspeople and the new technological advancements in the tools is now promoting Kashmir’s famed arts and crafts. This should be seen as a short in the arm for the Kashmiri crafts and should benefit to restore it the prestige and the vast clientele base it enjoyed prior to the 90s.
The downtown part of Srinagar is indeed the hub of arts and crafts. People have spent their lifetimes working on different designs, themes, and motifs. In some families, it runs in the blood. There was a master who was respected in the entire Muhalla because of his mastery over a particular art. These were the real men of steel as they sacrificed on not attending many marriages, not going to funerals, picnics, or wintering in the warm plains of India. They instead spent their lifetime improving their skills and getting a bigger clientele order.
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However, the 90s changed it all. The situation was not favorable for any business enterprise. However, in the past decade or two things are bouncing back to normalcy. Tourism in Kashmir is back to business as usual. This year with the railway connection to Kashmir becoming functional we can expect a lot more tourists – these are tourists who did not have to shell out more money on air travel which means they can spend that money on buying souvenirs of Kashmiri art and craft.
The current establishment has to ensure that the promotion and backing of Kashmiri arts and crafts by NIFT has to translate into more business for Kashmiri craftsmen. More capital should flow into Kashmir. There is a need to revive the training school for college and school dropouts in Papier Machie and Shawl weaving so that instead of sitting idle or endlessly waiting for government jobs they can have an alternate source of income.
We hope that this promotion by NIFT will translate into some considerable business for Kashmiri arts and crafts in the coming four to five years.
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