No love for spinning wheel in Kashmir

Kashmiri women who in the past spun Pashmina during their pastime and made good money have lost love for the job owing to low returns. The spinning wheels have now been relegated to the attics.

“Three to four days of strenuous work to spin Pashmina fetches just Rs 70,” says 72-year-old Halima from Nawakadal area of downtown in Srinagar.

“In the 1980s, 10 gram pashmina (phamb puer) cost Rs 30 but now it costs Rs 150. However, the price for our yarn has remained the same Rs 1 per knot,” she added.

Spinning Pashmina was not only an enjoyable activity for most of the Kashmiri women a few decades ago but it was also considered auspicious, as it guaranteed extra income to augment household expenses.

“There was a time when one could realize one’s dreams from spinning Pashmina. Many women have managed the marriage of their daughters and some even performed Hajj from this job but that is no longer possible now,” said Dilshada, another wheel spinner from downtown’s Eidgah area.

Spinning Pashmina is a simple but arduous task that requires a lot of patience.

After cleaning and combing, the wool is coated with rice flour and the tufts are then spun into fine yarn. Later two strands of yarn are twined together for durability and strength. Finally, the yarn is knotted, nine strands of nine inch length make a knot, for supply to the weaver. But the irony is that in spite of escalating cost of Pashmina, the price of spun yarn has remained the same for the last three decades discouraging spinners to work.

“If the price of Pashmina has gone up over five times, then the rate of knot should have also gone up accordingly, but nothing like that has happened. We want the government to intervene and fix the rate at Rs 5 per knot to give respect to the craft of the weavers,” said Hameeda, another pashmina spinner.

Pashmina spinners blame the government for apathy. They believe governments’ neglect of the craft has led to their exploitation and brought the age old cottage industry to the brink of extinction.

“Many women have left spinning as their efforts got them nothing. It is only those who have no other source of income that continue with this work – mostly the widows and the destitute. Who would give painstaking efforts for Rs 10 to 15 a day?” questioned Khidija, from Sekidafar area of downtown.

The use of power looms has further aggravated the woes of the already suffering women spinners. It is one of the reasons that their spun yarn has not seen any price rise.

“The creation of power loom has terribly affected our craft. We have heard stories from our elders how they managed their livelihood from this craft without exerting too much. But the power loom has spelled doom,” said another spinner, Misra.

In the past there have been many a protests by Pashmina weavers demanding complete ban on power looms.

According to pashmina spinners, around 40 power looms are operating illegally which have wreaked havoc with the trade and their lives.

“In 2014, a weaver from Mirjanpora of downtown Srinagar committed suicide as he was not able to fulfill the needs of his family from this trade,” said Misra.

With one power loom, around 80 people who worked for traditional weaving system lose their jobs.

It only aims at lowering the cost of production by compromising on quality which is the hallmark of Kashmiri pashmina.

Spinning pashmina is not without its health hazards.  Sitting in one posture all the time and continually peering at the yarn that’s being spun has adversely affected many spinners. Back aches, cramps and poor eye sight are common complaints.

“I have left spinning as it is very painstaking. It took me more than a year and a lot of money to restore my health. I used to have terrible backaches,” said Saja another women spinner.

SKUAST, through one of its projects, tried to address these issues of women spinners by fabricating a table-top paddle operated spinning wheel.

The wheel according to SKUAST not only reduces physical stress but also improves spinning efficiency by 73.50%. However many women spinners have no knowledge about this paddle operated spinning wheel.

“I have heard about this charkha and that it is being given on a 75% subsidy but till now I have not had the chance to see it,” said Maimoona, a women spinner who supports her husband in managing the family.

According to reports, there are more the 3 lack women Pashmina spinners in the Valley who have been badly hit.

They want the intervention of the government to save this art from going extinct and restore the economic independence of many, for whom it is the only source of a dignified survival.