Coronavirus effect: Artisans in JK hit hard by lockdown
Pulwama: The continuous lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus has severely affected livelihood of hundreds of weavers and artisans across Jammu and Kashmir.
Unable to get the required raw material people associated with handicrafts are going through tough times.
“We are not sure how long will this lockdown continue and after failing to earn our livelihoods we are living in panic situation,” said Ghulam Mohiuddin, a weaver hailing from Pinglena in Pulwama.
He said that he was not being able to travel outside his villages and was not able to bring items like threads of different colours to carry on with his work on the carpet that he is working on presently.
His views were echoed by some other weavers who said that with each passing day, the panic among the weavers and artisans is increasing as they already have gone through tough times after August 05 last year when the union government announced abrogation of article 370.
“Since very little tourists visited Kashmir after August 05 lockdown, we were notable to sell our products and we have been sitting idle at home,” they said.
“We are unable to sell our exquisite shawls manufactured locally to the visiting tourists or send them to markets outside Kashmir,” said Bashir Ahmad, a resident of Pulwama town.
“People engage themselves with the handicrafts sector in winter and all products that were made during the previous months are lying at my home as nobody is purchasing these products amid lockdown,” he said.
“I was providing work to over 100 people in my area but due to lockdown and non availability of raw material no one is in a position to work,” said Mushtaq Ahmad, another artisan who helps others to be part of the working group of artisans.
“If things continue like this we will have to face lot of financial issues in coming months,” he added.
