Russia-Ukraine war ripples reach Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 17: Muhammad Akhtar Mir, a Kashmiri papier-mâché artisan arranges papier-mâché articles on the display shelf of his workshop at Zadibal area of Srinagar downtown.

With its vibrant hues and designs, papier-mâché craft has for centuries highlighted Kashmir’s artistic talent.

However, the enthusiasm of Kashmir’s papier-mâché craftsmen like Mir is missing this year due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

“Everyone knows of Kashmir because of its breathtaking landscapes and Kashmiri artisans, but the Ukraine-Russia conflict has complicated matters for us,” Mir’s partner, Nayeem Nisar says.

Traditionally, artisans like Mir rely on export orders to sustain their trade.

But the war in Eastern Europe has upset their livelihood.

“Many Kashmiri vendors who used to sell our products in Russia and Ukraine have returned home,” Nisar says. “Export orders from other countries, including Italy and the US, have also dried up.”

The Russia-Ukraine war’s economic reverberations are not confined to the conflict-hit Eastern European region.

Luxury imports including Kashmiri papier-mâché into European shores are getting scaled back in times of rising inflation and disrupted supply chains.

Syed Amjad Ali, owner of Shah Handicrafts, paints a dismal picture of the current business environment.

“Our orders for Christmas items have dropped by at least 30 percent this year,” he says.

The most affected are the papier-mâché Christmas decorations — bells, stars, balls, crescents, and eggs.

Each one of these articles is handcrafted with vibrant colours and intricate patterns that bring Kashmir’s artistry to thousands of homes across Europe and the US.

“These decorations are beyond mere ornaments,” Ali says. “They represent the symbol of hope and light when this time of the year brings festivity. With decreasing orders, it is almost like the light is growing dim.”

Papier-mâché art in Kashmir has a Central Asian connection to it as the craft arrived in the region from Persia in the middle of the 14th century.

Since then papier-mâché has been an inseparable part of Kashmiri culture and artistic heritage.

Locally, this art form was called Kar-e-Qalamdan as it was made as pen holders and a few other personal trinkets.

Another term used for the art was Kar-e-Munaqqash as it was crafted on smoothly finished surfaces created using paper pulp or on layers of polished paper.

Papier-mâché craft involves transforming waste paper into decorative articles and Christmas ornaments.

The key is the use of eye-catching colours with detailed floral prints when making the articles.

There is also an existential threat coming from machine-made inexpensive replica alternatives that flood the market and undercut the original – painstakingly handcrafted articles.

“Artisans are giving up on their craft to take other jobs,” Ali says. “The next generation doesn’t see a future here.”

Not even the Geographic Indication (GI) tag that safeguards Kashmiri papier-mâché as something unique has halted the fall.

Despite these challenges, the artisans have not given up on their promise of sustainability.

“We take pride in our work,” Ali says. “It is not just about earning a livelihood. It is about preserving a tradition.”

Papier-mâché is made almost entirely from waste paper combined with rice straw and cloth to produce eco-friendly materials.

Traditionally, the Arabesque, Hazara, and Yarkand designs have been used for papier-mâché products, and kingfishers and Chinar leaves have been motifs adding local flavour.

Today, these traditions survive but find little space in a globalised, mass-produced market.

For artisans like Mir and Ali, Christmas has always been a time of hope.

Their creations, crafted in dimly lit workshops, have brought joy to homes across continents.

This year, they hold on to that hope as the orders dwindle.

“We pray for peace,” Mir says. “Not just for our business, but for the world. Peace would mean people can once again celebrate without fear, and perhaps our art can bring them a little happiness.”

As the conflict rages in Eastern Europe, far from the snow-capped peaks of Kashmir, the economic and emotional impact it generates resounds in these quiet workshops.

For now, the artisans focus on their craft, preserving a fragile tradition in the face of a turbulent world.