The word “handicraft” in ordinary language means “manufacturing decorative articles by hand using affordable tools.” These articles include items of daily and occasional use. The material used in making handicraft articles can be natural or man-made and the person who is involved in the artistic elaboration of such products is called artisan, locally referred to as Kari’gar.
The Kashmiri handicraft industry generates employment opportunities for a vast variety of people as it does not require formal university degrees but rather emphasises on artistic ability, craftsmanship, dexterity with the tools at hand, and advanced elaboration skills. Millions of families worldwide are engaged with the production of handicrafts, earning their livelihood. In our valley, the handicraft industry is one of the primary sources of income for thousands of families that maintain our restricted economy.
Kashmiri handicrafts include Papier-mâché, Shawl Weaving, Woodcarving, Chain Stitch, Crewel, Copperware, Carpet weaving, Sozni and the list goes on. Thousands of artisans use their hands and their skills developed over long hours of practice to make unique, charming and high-quality handicraft items that are sought all around the world.
In this article, we will introduce you to one of the recognised and once famous handicrafts known as Chain Stitch. In the past, most artisans working with Chain Stitch used to sit together at a Kar’Khana, a space provided by the chief artisan (Wastikar) to execute their craft. Apart from these particular spaces for work, the artisans were served tea twice in a day. These Kar’Kahanas were once common in the valley. While working, the artisans used to sing melodious Kashmiri songs to help them concentrate on their work and to get in the “zone” for such kind of intensive work. Furthermore, artisans occasionally organized potlucks where they would pool together money and ingredients to cook meals for their entire team.
The art of Chain Stitch, natively known as Jalakdozi, is produced by an artisan who runs a hook (locally called Aer) on a type of cloth known as Desuuiyt that is handmade from jute or hemp. Chain Stitch is mostly exported overseas and comes in different sizes of 2×3ft, 3×5ft, 6×4ft, 6×9ft, 8×12ft, 9×12ft, etc.
The yarn used in embroidery by artisans is Two-ply, Three-ply and silk. It comes in fixed quantities and limited colours (black and white) and is later dyed further in different colours. The yarn used in patterned rugs determines the cost of such rugs. Chain stitch rugs are commonly used to cover and decorate floors, walls, beds, and as cushion covers, table covers and window curtains. The rugs are reinforced by cloth-lining to add to their durability.
The process of making the chain stitch is a highly complex one from basic elaboration to advanced ornamentation. The designer, called a Naqqash, traces different designs on the Desuuiyt. These designs range from floral patterns to animal and human forms, with both abstract and figurative imagery, and are altered according to market demands or specific customer requirements. The artisans later follow the same styles while stitching on the rugs with the Aer. The background often remains white or is rarely coloured.
Chain stitch, which is famous all over the world due its uniformity and quality of stitching, is done by skilled locals of Kashmir, most of whom are village girls taking on such tasks as a part-time job. However, with the advent of machinery, the chain stitch profession has been severely affected. The patterned rugs made with machines are exported outside and dubiously dubbed as handmade products.
To make things worse, limited wages and low rates of patterned rugs have forced scores of artisans to leave this art. The struggles of such artisans are not discussed as frequently as they should be in public platforms. In the spirit of understanding the current situation concerning this dying art, we spoke with 60-year-old Ghulam Rasool Khanday, a senior and experienced craftsman who lives in the Anchidora village of Anantnag district. While leaning his back against a bundle of unsold patterned rugs at his storehouse, he says “because of machine-made products that are being dubiously dubbed as Kashmiri handmade handicrafts outside Kashmir, our stock of patterned rugs remain unsold for years.”
“Government negligence and the actual machinery are major reasons behind the waning of this art. There are big houses with machinery running openly in Srinagar, but no one is confiscating these machines from them,” says Khanday, who has a stock of patterned rugs worth lakhs of rupees sitting for months at his warehouse. A decade prior, Khanday had 700 artisans working with him and now he has only 200 artisans on his team, mostly due to the fact that a lot of them left this art in scores. “Day by day the prices of the materials used for making patterned rugs have been rising, but the labour charges of artisans remain unchanged,” he affirms. Asked further, he reveals that his group of artisans come from different places of Kashmir like Qazigund, Meer Bazar, Hillar, Tailwan, Qarigam, Devsar and Kulgam.
Although the authorities have imposed a legal ban on the machinery used for making chain stitch patterned rugs, its impact is not visible on the ground given the lack of proper regulation and implementation of laws.
The Quality Control Wing constituted by the government has been tasked with the job of surveying and confiscating such machines on first sight. In addition, artisans can register themselves in handicraft government offices under the Ministry of Commerce and can get up to one lakh loan with only 4 per cent interest. The government has also launched a few schemes for artisans including credit card schemes and financial schemes to promote their industry.
Nevertheless, artisans claim that the authorities may have placed initial restrictions to save this handmade art from the widespread machine-made fakes passed off as the original handmade items. Even so, the matter of the fact is that the chain stitch market is not just losing its sheen but highly skilled artisans as well. As such, many artisans feel that it is the responsibility of the government to confiscate such machines from people and save this beautiful Kashmiri handmade art from disappearing forever.
