Srinagar, Jul 25 (KNO): A 69-year-old artist hailing from Srinagar, who has won the prestigious Padma Shri award for his exemplary contribution to the Kashmir handicraft, continues to work diligently to preserve such a valuable Ancient art.
Haji Ghulam Rasool Khan, a resident of Rehmania Colony Jogiwan Amda Kadal, is the chairman of “J&K Art & Craft Development Society” and also the President – Jammu & Kashmir of “All India Handloom and Handicraft Association, New Delhi. He has received numerous accolades, including the Padma Shri in 2021, for his sincere dedication to the craft.
In an interview with the news agency - Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Mr. Khan said, “His association with handicrafts began in childhood. He said his ancestors also relied on this line of trade for their livelihood.
Haji’s commitment to the craft deepened more after he met with a serious accident which happened in Delhi in the year 1998, which confined him to a room for years. During this time, he devoted himself completely to the Pashmina work.
Handicraft requires patience, which is often lacking in the younger generation, Khan said. “I worked on a project – a 64 pieces shawl – over almost five years, along with my apprentices. This precious work earned me lot of appreciation and I received multiple awards at various levels and these are the State Award (in 2003), National Award (in 2005), Shilp Guru (in 2010), awarded with the prestigious Padma Shri Award (in 2021) and Pradhan Mantri Viswakarma Award (in 2023).
Ghulam Rasool said there is a need for sustained efforts to preserve the dying art of valley. The Handicraft Art is a unique gift from our respectable Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (RA) to the people of Kashmir,”he said, urging the younger generation to participate and continue our old rich tradition.
Khan said he has taught the craft to over 500 people especially the art of Jamawar Shawl making. However, there is a lot which is needed to be done and the governments intervention in crucial for the survival of the dying art & craft, he added.
Haji expressed hope of receiving the Padma Bhushan award for his contribution in the field of art, for which he has applied. He has called along with the Master Craftsmen to the Honorable LG of the UT of J&K – Shri Manoj Sinha for setting up a Craft Centre in the Valley to teach the young dynamic youth of J&K including the women from far flung areas who will be trained by the master craftsmen (National & Shipguru Awardees) from all the crafts under one roof. It will also be a unique showroom for prominent Indian & International markets for direct sales with the genuine & Original products.
We have around 30 Master Craftsmen from the Valley who are from the different fields of the Art & Craft and have been awarded as State, National and Shipguru Awardees. I have repeatedly requested and followed the case with the previous & present Government from time to time for the Craft Centre Setup to be established which will be in the shape of an Institute for training cum placement program for the young generation in all these skills and also a showroom for the direct sales, ”he said.
Khan said that while unemployment is a serious matter of concern, reviving traditional arts could provide livelihoods to thousands of families and can certainly help in reducing the unemployment ratio. He has conducted multiple programs across the various districts of the valley to educate the public about Kashmiri artwork and highlighted the importance of Geographical Indication (GI) tagging.
The GI tagging helps people identify genuine handmade crafts. However, there is lot more which needs to be done to ensure the sustainability of the dying art of the Valley, ”he said-(KNO)