Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 12: Kashmir Pashmina Karigar Union (KPKU) has asked State Government to ban spinning machines and power looms completely to “save livelihood of atleast 5 lakh weavers and spinners using” traditional handlooms and spinners. Dozens of workers and weavers today protested at Press Enclave here and said that Government should stop Pashmina production by machines and power looms as it has affected their income and threatened their traditional industry.
The union said that the Government should act against some of the unscrupulous elements that want to earn millions overnight at the cost of poor artisans of the State.
“The introduction of machines has adversely affected the craft and distribution of local vendors,” they said.
They also said that thousands of women were associated with spinning the wool by hand and later its processing also involved handlooms that made the Kashmiri shawl famous is now is completely replaced by machines.
They also demanded an unconditional apology from Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Farooq Ahmad Shah for exploiting the poverty of these artisans.
Earlier, Shah had said that civil society should adopt those girls unemployed due to induction of spinning machines and arrange marriage expenses for them.
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