Srinagar,: Expressing serious concerns over the concerted efforts to damage and inflict harm to the world renowned Kashmiri handicrafts and skilled industry, Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Dr. Molvi Mohammad Umar Farooq has said that if serious steps were not taken to eliminate the causes responsible for the gradual decline of Kashmir’s traditional arts and skills, an important sources of livelihood of thousands of skilled people would end besides leading to the strangulation of one of the important source of economic stability in Kashmir.
According to a statement issued to KNS, in this connection a high level delegation of Kashmir Copper Workers Trader Union led by its head Mohammad Yousuf Kakru met Mirwaiz and apprised him about the issues faced by the copper industry. While listening to their grievances, Mirwaiz stated that the issues and problems faced by the people in copper industry were of serious concern, adding, it is important to provide security to the skilled workers of this industry to save the age old industry from extinction.
The workers union told Mirwaiz that the conditions were being created to discourage the skilled workers engaged in the profession of the handmade copper utensils. The workers stated that some persons with vested interest were introducing machines in Kashmir to make copper utensils and selling them as handmade while as some were importing the copper items from outside the state thereby endangering the livelihood of skilled workers associated with the local copper industry. They said that though the state government has put a ban on use of machines; however, the law was not being fully implemented on the ground by the concerned Law enforcing agencies. Mirwaiz expressed concern over the inability of the government to protect the local copper industry in Kashmir. He assured the workers that he would raise the issues faced by copper workers at all platforms.