Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Feb 28: A man, hailing from Srinagar, has been making efforts to revive the traditional fur art in Kashmir by providing training to the local youth.
Tahir Ahmad Kalwal, a resident of Onta Bhawan area Soura, Srinagar, who returned to Srinagar during Covid-19, has been training women artisans and youth in making fur products in Kashmir.
Kalwal said that raw hides are available in Kashmir in plenty, so is the demand for leather and its products but Kashmir has no proper tanning factory to turn raw hides into raw leathers.
He said that he is making fur items from sheep herds only, adding that around 8000 sheep are being consumed in Kashmir on a daily basis but their hides are mostly getting wasted.
Kalwal said that none from his family was associated with the job and he was sent to Delhi during the initial stage of militancy in Kashmir, where their family friend was doing this work and got interested in it. “Slowly, I started a workshop there,” he said.
He said that though an industry was started in Kashmir in late 80s but it got closed due to several reasons and later the number of fur artisans declined as well. He said that this work has the great demand across the world, especially in Kashmir but the artisans associated with the work are very few.
Kalwal said currently fur work is being done through a recycling process but this work is being done at limited places in the world but the demand is high everywhere as sheep hides aren’t being used for making leather items only but fur also.
“This industry needs a well skilled artisan,” Kalwal said. “This process needs patience as it takes time in different processes from tanning to sorting out.”
“Whatever I have made in the last few years are just samples that have been displayed during G20 and many other mega events where every country has shown interest in investing in this industry,” he said.
“Luckily, this industry was with us but we have been spoiling it,” he said, adding that even LG J&K had assured to support this industry but unfortunately he is yet to witness any support.
“I was well-settled in Delhi but while starting this work in Kashmir, I wasn’t earning enough, due to which, my whole family suffered,” he said.
He said that there are just 20-30 artisans in Kashmir, who are doing this work but all of them have been facing hardships and are expecting the promotion and revival of the industry.
These artisans have golden hands but they are getting spoiled due to less government support in Kashmir, he said.
