Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday inaugurated the ‘Know Your Artisan’ initiative aimed at promoting the region’s handicrafts and artistic heritage, under the ‘Soulful Kashmir’ campaign.
He emphasised that artisans are the custodians of the region’s cultural identity, saying the programme aims to provide them direct market access, ensure fair value for their work, and strengthen the authenticity of traditional products.
The latest edition of the ‘Soulful Kashmir’ campaign builds on last year’s momentum in keeping with the chief minister’s commitment during his budget speech, where he assured strengthening of “Brand Jammu and Kashmir” and promoting the region’s rich handicrafts and handloom traditions, an official press release said.
It said Abdullah also inaugurated a new geographical indication (GI) testing lab and giant LED video walls, and launched high-precision fibre analysis equipment and the DesignNWeave software, founded by the Indian Institute Of Carpet Technology (IICT) Srinagar.
He inspected the handicrafts and handloom department’s new ‘Try Your Hands’ initiative; aimed at providing an immersive experience to visitors and tourists, the segment features live demonstrations that seek to acquaint people with the hard work put in by the artisans, and the various back-end processes involved in the making such niche crafts.
The chief minister also tried his hands at warping a yarn, an arduous exercise intrinsic to the craft of hand-weaving pashmina.
The chief minister also visited the main Exhibition Gallery where 30 display-cum-sale counters offering authentic handmade products have been set up. During his interaction with various Shilp Guru, National and J&K Awardees, he expressed deep appreciation for the initiative and the remarkable craftsmanship on display.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdullah said the initiative marks a significant step in promoting “Brand Jammu and Kashmir”, and enhancing the visibility of the region’s handicrafts sector.
Abdullah urged holding such events with greater frequency and duration, so that the “golden hands” and rich cultural heritage of Jammu and Kashmir get an ideal platform to reach global audiences.
He directed the handicrafts and handloom department to institutionalise the ‘Know Your Artisan’ initiative as a regular feature and to extend this campaign to maximise outreach and impact.
Abdullah urged people to visit Kashmir Haat to experience the world-class arts and crafts created by the “magical hands” of Kashmir’s artisans.
He said such visits not only allow people to witness the rich cultural heritage of the region firsthand, but directly support local artisans by encouraging the purchase of authentic handmade products.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, who also holds the Industries & Commerce portfolio, reaffirmed the department’s commitment to continue organizing such initiatives across multiple locations, ensuring wider visibility, enhanced market access, greater footprint of visitors and buyers and sustained socio-economic upliftment of the artisan and weaver community.
The event is expected to witness overwhelming response from visitors, tourists and stakeholders, marking yet another significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to position Jammu & Kashmir as a global hub for high-quality handicrafts and handloom products.
