Mubashir Aalam Wani
Srinagar, Dec 14 (KNO): After witnessing a hard time due to the pandemic’s devastating impact on business, Christmas has given a new lease of life to artists as foreign orders have again begun to come in.
Many Kashmiri Muslim artists were seen busy with paper mache with the hope of better business ahead. The Christmas items are made of paper-mache and are ready to send to local markets and also exported to the U.S, Italy and many other parts of the world.
Mohammed Iqbal, while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said, “that due to Covid our business was on decline and it’s very hard to earn our livelihood.”
“Fom last two years we didn’t get any international orders on the eve of Christmas but now there is a hope of betterment,” he said.
The paper mache export business dealt a huge blow by two subsequent lockdowns in Kashmir.
The export business came to a halt in 2019 due lockdown after abrogation of Article 370 followed by the coronavirus lockdown.
“We appeal to the government to provide compensation for the dying craft not only for him but for 1000 artists who depended on this paper Mache craft,” Iqbal said—(KNO)
