In a sleepy village of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, three disabled brothers are losing their muscles due to a genetic disease but unlike many others they haven’t given up.
Three challenged brothers — Tariq Ahmad Mir, 29, Nazir Ahmad Mir, 35, and Farooq Ahmad Mir, 32 — are sitting side by side in one of the uncluttered rooms of their house in Gotapora. With thread and needle in hands, they are busy sewing elaborate designs on Kashmiri shawls.
The Mir brothers have been suffering from muscular dystrophy (MD) since their childhood.
This is a peculiar medical condition, which causes the degeneration of muscles. As the disease progressed, it affected their mobility, restricting them to the four walls of their house.
“Due to the disability we could not do any other physical job, so we took to embroidery,” says Tariq Ahmad Mir, who has a penchant for the art.
In 2009, they created their own initiative called, ‘Special Hands of Kashmir’. Today, nearly 40 craftsmen are associated with the initiative and are earning their livelihood through it. The three physically challenged brothers say they earn enough for their basic survival.