The Government of India, Ministry of Textiles, is implementing two major schemes during 2021-22 to 2025-26 for development of handlooms and welfare of weavers across the country.
One is the National Handloom Development Programme and other Raw Material Supply Scheme. Under the former scheme, financial assistance is provided to the eligible handloom agencies and weavers for raw materials. Also common infrastructure development, marketing of handloom products in domestic and overseas markets, loans on concessional rates etc is provided, as per the Centre. The ground situation suggests that awareness about the schemes has not reached those who could avail it and in the process more and more jobs are created.
Kashmir enjoys a prominent position on the world map as regards handicrafts as well as handloom. Both these sectors need a special focus especially when machine made and fake goods are being sold in the name Kashmir brand which is detrimental to the future of these sectors.
To ensure long term survival of the Kashmir handicrafts and handloom, concrete efforts are needed, both in ensuring the quality as well as adequate production. Those associated with trade should be taken care of and necessary support should be rendered to them. Efforts should be made to revive the sectors to utilize their potential. The efforts should be such that they should improve the income level of the concerned significantly and their interests should be protected via authentic trade practices.
There is a need to organize regular expos so that wide marketing platforms are provided to local weavers and cooperative societies to sell their handmade genuine products directly to the buyers, thus enabling them to earn their livelihood.
Recently Department of Handicrafts and Handloom (H&H) Kashmir said that it has submitted the dossier for registration of two more crafts –Crewel and Chain-stitch to Intellectual Property India, Chennai, an apex body for the registration and better protection of geographical indications (GI) relating to goods in India.
The department’s endeavor to get more crafts from Kashmir under the ambit of GI certification so that the genuine handmade Kashmir Handicrafts will get due recognition across the globe are welcome and should be continued.
There are more than 10,000 craftsmen associated with Crewel and Chain-stitch scattered over different districts of the Kashmir region. They are tipped to get benefitted from the GI certification of these crafts. While according to the government, these products have export potential of more than 200 crores, all efforts must be ensured regularly.