Srinagar's wood carving artisans face stiff competition from imported items

Srinagar: Mehraj ud Din, a septuagenarian craftsman in Khanyar in the old city, is toiling away on a walnut wood in a dimly lit chamber in the centre of a dilapidated house, carving delicate designs with his grimy hands that represent decades of toil.

This art form has reached the point of "extinction," according to Mehraj ud Din, who is involved in the wood carving industry.

"Early on, not only from inside J&K but also from beyond, there was a great demand for wood-carved products. But now that demand has plummeted, it is at its lowest point since consumers prefer readily available premade goods like panelling more than this art form," Mehraj added.

He remembers the time when people used to send their kids to him to learn the craft of carving various designs out of wooden sheets as an apprentice.

"I used to work with 10 to 20 apprentices throughout the year, but now I'm all alone in my workhouse."

According to Mehraj, "All of my trainees have left this trade and are now working at alternative jobs because they find it to be unprofitable. I also want to leave this trade, but my poor family, for which I am the sole provider, keeps me there."

Mehraj continues by saying that the absence of enthusiasm for wood carving among the carpenter and artisan children has further harmed this industry and contributed to its demise.

The demand for locally created wood-carved products has significantly fallen as a result of the import of wooden goods made of foreign lumber, which are also less expensive than local goods, according to Muhammad Iqbal, a dealer in such goods.

An artist named Muhammad Shafi claims that the craft of wood carving is facing a significant issue because the number of artists involved in the trade is declining daily and new generations are staying away from the art.

"I've got two sons. In this art, none are. They do work as salespeople for some private businesses, but they are unwilling to enter this field," he claimed.

When you ask him why young people nowadays are not interested in this art, he responds, "Two decades ago, more than 50,000 families would eke out a living from this trade. But, it is now tough to support your family in this trade due to the dropping salaries.

"Right now, this line only has 3,000 to 4,000 craftspeople. The remainder of them are either dead or have abandoned the craft due to lower profits and fewer market opportunities," he claimed.