JAMMU: On National Handloom Day, heritage conservationist Dr Satwant Singh Rissam on Friday paid tribute to weavers and artisans whose skill and creativity continue to preserve India’s rich cultural identity, while calling for stronger institutional support to safeguard the handloom traditions of Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Rissam, who is also Additional Co-Convenor of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), Jammu Chapter, said handloom was not merely a source of livelihood but a living heritage reflecting tradition, self-reliance, sustainability and the civilisational memory of communities across the country.
He said the handloom traditions of Jammu and Kashmir require urgent and sustained support at a time when traditional craftsmen are facing pressure from mechanised production, imitation products, limited market access and declining transmission of skills to younger generations.
Dr Rissam urged the Jammu and Kashmir Government to take concrete measures to strengthen support for weavers and craftsmen by expanding national and international marketing opportunities.
He also called for more effective implementation of existing schemes and their extension to deserving artisans in both remote and urban craft clusters.
Dr Rissam proposed the preparation of a dedicated Jammu and Kashmir Handloom Revival and Heritage Protection Plan to provide a structured framework for preserving traditional crafts.
The proposed plan, he said, should include district-level craft mapping, documentation of endangered weaving traditions, youth apprenticeship programmes, common facility centres and branding of authentic Jammu and Kashmir handloom products.
He further suggested setting up a permanent artisan support and promotion cell to help connect craftsmen with finance, training and markets.
Dr Rissam said sustained policy intervention and better market linkages were essential to ensure that traditional handloom skills remain economically viable and are passed on to future generations.
