The apex business chamber of the valley, Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), demanded lifting of ban on shahtoosh. It has not been over two weeks time that the new president KCCI, Abdul Hamid Punjabi has taken charge of one of the oldest business chambers of the state. The new president today told Kashmir Times that the chamber has been insisting the state government and New Delhi to take away ban on the shahtoosh trade. "It has been over a decade now and we have been advocating for removal of ban on the trade," he said. The annual turnover of the shahtoosh trade was over Rs 120 crore. Over 30,000 families were depending on the trade. "The ban has brought miseries to the shahtoosh weavers, traders and their families and these families are facing starvation,"he said.
The KCCI had earlier sent a recommendation to the state government on lifting ban on the trade however, have not heard any from the state till date. "This is a mater of grave concern for us. The concerned agencies should find a solution to the problem at earliest. There is hardly a day when affected families especially poor women come to our office to express their hardship,"Hamid Punjabi said and added "We would try our best to take away the ban to bring respite to 600 year old industry."Kashmir Shawl industry is famous in the world. Shahtoosh are so fine that an average size shawl can be passed through a wedding ring. "We have world famous artisans associated with the trade and the state of art embroidery on shawls in unique in the world," he added.The ban has led to the demise of the skill of the Kashmir weavers, who were the only ones in the world who could handle the fibre, he added. "China has vested interest in the ban as they are not able to handle the wool from Tibetan antelope," he said. Giving the details Hamid Punjabi said the population of the Tibetan antelope has been found dwindling and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), listed it as endangered specie in the 1970s. "The government of India enacted this in schedule I of the wild life Act without giving reservation, which was within the scope of CITES. States Shahtoosh shawl sector was not consulted," he said. The selling of shahtoosh was made illegal in all countries that signed the CITES.
However, since J&K had its own wild life Act as such it continued to be in schedule II allowing trading of Shahtoosh. "Free trading within the state could not help in survival of the industry as the major outlets were the outside markets which come under enforcement of wild life Act prohibiting the sale," he added. In 2005 the government of India constituted an expert group to look into the issues relating to shahtoosh trade. The group was of the view that lifting ban would mean killing of antelopes. However, in the meeting Dr A M Mir had argued that the shahtoosh fiber used in making shawls comes from live chirus and not from dead animals because according to him the fiber obtained from the dead animals is useless and can't be converted into shawls. The wild life societies are of the opinion that antelope from which shahtoosh wool is derived is most endangered specie and wool is derived from killing the animal. However, Hamid Punjabi says that the wool shedding is a biological process. Like other animals of cold climate, the Tibetan antelope also sheds their thick winter coats when ambient temperature rises with onset of winter. "Dead wool is of no use in the shahtoosh shawl production," he said. The government should look for the options of setting commercial farming. "Captive breeding has not been attempted till date," he added.
The antelope lives at an altitude of 14-17,000 feet. In winter months due to lack of vegetation chiru move down to the plains. It is here they share pastures with domestic live stock and are near human habitation, he said.
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