Dispatch from idyllic Kashmir village weaving carpets for new Parliament

Speaking to ETV Bharat, an artisan Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, 30, said that for the first time he got an opportunity to make a carpet with his own hands to decorate the parliament of the country. "Generally, we are underpaid for the carpets we make, but for the first time, we are being paid fairly," Khan said.

Srinagar:In Shinglipora Khag village in central Kashmir's Budgam district, a few artisans are toiling hard to weave handmade carpets that will adorn the country's new parliament building in the national capital. A lot rests on their shoulders to produce the finest work of their careers that will find its spot in the country's most significant building.

The artisans are in the final stages of finishing the job and have completed ten out of twelve carpets so far. Speaking to ETV Bharat, an artisan Imtiaz Ahmed Khan, 30, said that for the first time he got an opportunity to make a carpet with his own hands to decorate the parliament of the country. "Generally, we are underpaid for the carpets we make, but for the first time, we are being paid fairly," Khan said.

"Those associated with the carpet weaving would usually get Rs 150-225 a day for their hard work. With this project, the 50 weavers working on it get about Rs 600 to Rs 700 a day,” he said.

Top-quality silk and threads are being used to weave the carpets and their pattern is also different from the traditional ones, he said. "It will be 11 feet long and up to 8 feet wide. The contract to manufacture the carpets has been awarded to by a New Delhi-based firm whose employees keep on coming here for frequent checks," the artisan said.

Khan said that he desires the artisans should be present in the parliament when the carpets will be rolled out. "The government should think seriously about all the carpet artisans and increase our wages so that we can continue this work. All men and women in this village are skilled in this craft," he said.

Another artisan, Tariq Ahmed Khan, 28, said his senior told him that they had to weave carpets completely different from the ones they were used to making. Tariq was overjoyed when he came to know that his hand-made carpets were going to add to the beauty of one of the most important buildings in the country. "We are working hard to meet the deadline," said Tariq.

The government has maintained that the Winter Session of Parliament will be held in the new building being built under the Narendra Modi government's ambitious Central Vista redevelopment project. The process of Kashmiri carpet making is an arduous one. There are many phases- beginning with acquiring and preparing the raw materials, then treating and dyeing them, and finishing with weaving and adding the finishing touches.