“The huge attention Prime Minister Modi attached to the Promotion of Jammu & Kashmir’s handicrafts and tourism even at G20 summit shows his special interest in the development of the tourism and handicrafts of Jammu & Kashmir”.
Kashmir Crafts were the attraction of international attention even at the recently concluded high profile G20 leadership summit in New Delhi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself very proudly gifted Kashmir Pashmina stoles in specially decorated Paper Mache Boxes to several G20 leaders. Knowing that the foreigners have a huge attraction for both the Paper Mache Box made up of recycled paper and as well as the pashmina stoles made up of finest cashmere wool sourced from the Changthangi goats of Ladakh the Prime Minister Narendra Modi took proud in gifting the Kashmir Pashmina stoles in specially decorated Kashmiri Paper Machie boxes to several G20 leaders with the obvious intentions of promoting J&K’s tourism and handicrafts even on the sidelines of a high profile G20 leadership summit in New Delhi. So the huge attention Prime Minister Modi attached to the Promotion of Jammu & Kashmir’s handicrafts and tourism even at G20 summit shows his special interest in the development of the tourism and handicrafts of Jammu & Kashmir. What further shows the Prime Minister’s deeper interest in the all-round development of Jammu and Kashmir was the Government’s move to allow the Kashmir artists to set up stalls at the Crafts Bazaar exhibition organized at the Bharat Mandapam, the venue for the G20 Summit for showcasing Kashmiri handicrafts. Given a golden opportunity of showcasing Kashmir handicrafts the Kashmiri artists brought huge falvour to the G20 leadership summit with the huge interest Prime Minister Modi demonstrated in displaying Kashmiri handicrafts at this international event of huge global attraction like G20 leadership summit. Moreover it was also really a moment of proud for people of Jammu & Kashmir to see renowned artisan Haji Gulam Rasool Khan a recipient of Padmashri award becoming the focus of the attention of the G20 delegates New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan where he had kept on display Kashmiri Pashmina garments.
“While the introduction of Geographical Indication (GI0 tags and the implementation of Handicraft and Handloom Policy 2020 has played a bigger role in revitalizing the handicraft industry in Jammu and Kashmir, the amalgamation of GI tags and the Handicraft and Handloom Policy has brought Kashmiri handicrafts into the international focus due to increasing attraction of the customers for the products the credit for which goes to the brilliance of artistry found in traditional Kashmiri crafts like Pashmina Shawals”.
It may be mentioned here that in the year 2021, President of India had presented Haji Gh Rasool Khan Padmashree award to him for his role in conserving the oldest art of weaving Kashmiri Pashmina shawls. The display of Kashmir Pashmina Shawls at New Delhi’s Pragati Maidan G20 not only attracted G20 delegates but also turned out to be an opportunity for Kashmiri artisans to showcase their famed art at a high-profile event of global attraction like the G20 leadership summit. While the introduction of Geographical Indication (GI0 tags and the implementation of Handicraft and Handloom Policy 2020 has played a bigger role in revitalizing the handicraft industry in Jammu and Kashmir, the amalgamation of GI tags and the Handicraft and Handloom Policy has brought Kashmiri handicrafts into the international focus due to increasing attraction of the customers for the products the credit for which goes to the brilliance of artistry found in traditional Kashmiri crafts like Pashmina Shawals.
editor@thekashmirhorizon.com
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