Threading a Future With Hope

In 2002, weaver Shabir Ahmed was facing a dilemma. Demand had fallen sharply for his famed Kani shawls.

Key points

• That hope is now being tested in Kanihama, where around 500 households remain connected to Kani and pashmina weaving.
• In 2002, weaver Shabir Ahmed was facing a dilemma.
• The centre has additionally given weavers a place to display and sell their work.
• The question now is whether the generation after these artisans will carry the craft forward.
• There are signs that the craft is finding some momentum again.

In 2002, weaver Shabir Ahmed was facing a dilemma. Demand had fallen sharply for his famed Kani shawls. After decades at the loom, the artisan from Kanihama in central Kashmir's Budgam district was unsure if there was a future in a craft his family had practised for more than 65 years. Surprisingly, 15 years afterwards, in 2017, he secured a new lifeline. For context, the state recommended him for a National Award for his sustained work in the face of odds. "After getting the award, new hope was generated, " notes Shabir.

That hope is now being tested in Kanihama, where around 500 households remain connected to Kani and pashmina weaving. Designated Kashmir's first Handloom Village by the Ministry of Textiles in 2020, the village produces regarding 700 shawls a year. Weavers employ tiny wooden spools called kanis to create intricate patterns directly into the fabric, a painstaking technique that has earned Kani shawls a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The effort to keep the looms going has since moved beyond individual artisans. Notably, a Common Facilitation Centre, set up in 2021, trains young individuals in pashmina weaving, with 20 female craft teachers working at the centre. Those enrolled receive a monthly allowance of `1, 500. "We want to encourage the artisans and attract tourists, " notes Mohammad Ashraf, 40, a craft teacher.

In practice, the centre has additionally given weavers a place to display and sell their work. "Earlier, artisans applied to sell their Kani shawls in different states. Now they bring their products here for display. It has become a new platform for us, " notes Shabir. While exhibitions at Gulmarg, Pahalgam, the Tulip Garden and other tourist destinations have opened new markets, administration backing has included artisan sheds, solar inverters and pashmina looms.

There are signs that the craft is finding some momentum again. While tourists increasingly stop to watch the process, artisans who had left weaving are returning. For Shabir, the next challenge is to create Kani shawls easier to sell and harder to counterfeit. While online sales are opening another route to customers, intends for a QR-code-based application could allow buyers to verify their specifications and authenticity.

In practice, the question now is whether the generation after these artisans will carry the craft forward. Nazir Ahmed, 50, a weaver from neighbouring Batpora-Mazhama, has taught the craft to his son. "I have taught my son this trade. I have earned my livelihood from these shawls for the past 30 years, but the future of my son depends on how much administration initiatives improve our lives, " he states.

Taken together, the developments around threading a Future With Hope point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.