As per the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCC&I), the handmade shawls and stoles sector of Kashmir is being threatened by Chinese machine-made embroidered shawls and some unscrupulous domestic traders.
In a meeting held on this issue, the chamber demanded, to formulate a law to forbid machine-made items, expressing concern over machine-made embroidered shawls and stoles from China and Amritsar, which are the greatest hurdles in the growth of Kashmiri hand-made shawls and stoles.
This is a ancient heritage craft of the region which has been offering employment, since many years, to a number of artisans who are the residents of various quarters of the Kashmir Valley, pointed Mr. Abdul Hamid Punjabi, Vice President, KCC&I.
The Shawl Makers Association had approached the Minister for Industries and Commerce, earlier, in order to ask his assistance to enact a law for restraining the production of machine-made embroidered shawls and stoles in Kashmir.
Also, KCC&I demanded to generate awareness among the traders of handmade Kashmiri shawls and stoles, in a bid to put pressure on the government to frame a law to ban the production of machine-made shawls and stoles.
Fibre2fashion News Desk - India