Usually the economy of the people is judged by their income and income by all standards of understandabilities is generated from jobs by the people. When joblessness is triggered by any economic or human crisis, the livelihood of the people attracts concern from both the government and as well as the society. People in Jammu & Kashmir like people in other parts of the country are worried over the increasing joblessness triggered by the endless cycles of covid-19 pandemic as the unemployment is rising more unprecedentedly in Jammu & Kashmir than in many other parts of the countries where heavy industries generating jobs in lacs annually . As has been experienced in the past the joblessness otherwise also increases in Kashmir due to reducing intensity in business operations during chilly months of winter season. In presence of low intensity business operations during chilly months of winter in Kashmir. Never forget that people in Kashmir used to earn their livelihoods from traditional Kashmir arts and crafts even in the chilly months of winter as Kashmir is known for it’s crafts especially it’s pashmina shawls, Kani shawl weaving and Sozni embroidery and chilly months of winter are more suited for producing these types of handicraft goods. Never forget that majority of people in Kashmir prefer to stay and work indoors during the chilly months of winter. Such economic means available to survive would have grown more intensely during the high intensity periods of pandemic in last two years in Kashmir keeping in view the fact that people while staying indoors would find it easy to work on handicraft goods but unfortunately the fast reducing interest of the people in such flourishing conventional trades is also a big cause for rising unemployment in Kashmir.
Before putting in place measures for new investments there is dire need for assessing the types and extents of the financial constraints faced by artisans across Kashmir as losses suffered by artisans in previous years is the main cause for their loss of interest in the handicraft sector . Ailing handicraft sector can’t be revived only by public policy but by the intervention of market forces and macroeconomic growth.
Despite reducing interest of the people in such handicrafts lacs of artisans are still associated with the handicraft sector in Kashmir and more jobs can be generated in handicraft sector if markets are expanded for raising the scope of demand for handicrafts within and outside Jammu & Kashmir. It is not difficult to expand the handicrafts sector for the purposes of reducing the increasing joblessness in Kashmir and if expanded the handicrafts sector won’t only ensure adequate food and income to artisans but would also reduce the increasing joblessness in Jammu & Kashmir. More investments in the handicraft sector won’t just bring in more money to artisans but would also expand markets for Kashmir handicrafts across the country. Before putting in place measures for new investments there is dire need for assessing the types and extents of the financial constraints faced by artisans across Kashmir as losses suffered by artisans in previous years is the main cause for their loss of interest in the handicraft sector . Ailing handicraft sector can’t be revived only by public policy but by the intervention of market forces and macroeconomic growth.
