Kashmir Inc has come out in support of Hashmat-ullah Khan, who has been at the centre of a storm for being conferred the prestigious Padma Shri in arts.
Kashmir Inc has come out in support of Hashmat-ullah Khan, who has been at the centre of a storm for being conferred the prestigious Padma Shri in arts.
Khan belongs to an affluent family that has been in the handicraft business since 1928. A third generation handicrafts businessman, Khan jumped into the family business in 1973 and since then he has been promoting handicrafts and “reviving the dying kani shawl art”.
“I do not know who started the controversy. He is genuine and has contributed a lot to revive the kani shawl. It is not necessary that only a craftsman should get the award.
Even those who promote the art can get it. We have congratulated him for bagging the award,” said Mubeen Shah, president, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Shah said an NGO recommended his name for the award. “The Khans have been instrumental in reviving the shawl. This contribution cannot be brushed aside,” he said.
Khan’s inclusion in the Padma Shri award list created a controversy as some objected that he was not a master craftsman. The Jammu & Kashmir government’s claim that it did not recommend his name for the award added to the controversy.
Khan, who sells shawls in Delhi, said he was surprised by the honour and claimed he never lobbied for it.
“I got a call from a government official on January 25. I have met many people over the last few years, who used to inquire about the dying kani shawl art and measures to be taken for its revival. I do not know them personally,” said Khan.
He continued, “An obituary had been written to the kani shawl art, when we decided to revive it in 1995. Some artisans were not ready to take up the art again, saying the fine thread needed could not be made. We made an effort and today there are more than 5,000 engaged in the kani shawl work.”
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