Looms spinning 'fakes', JK weaves plan to save Pashmina

With mushrooming power looms spinning fake products posing serious threat to the very existence of Pashmina shawls, authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are planning to introduce a legislation to preserve the world famous textile.
The state handicrafts department is working on a proposal to get Pashmina included in the items reserved exclusively for handloom, by amending the existing Handloom Act.
"Under the Handloom Act, the definition of handloom is traditional loom other than power loom. As per its provisions, some items can be reserved exclusively for handloom. I am submitting a proposal to the government to reserve Pashmina exclusively for handloom," Director of Handicrafts Tariq Ahmad Ganaie told PTI.

He said, once the legislation is passed and Pashmina is included in the reserved category, using power looms for spinning the shawls will become illegal.
Ganaie said the mushrooming of power looms had increased production of Pashmina shawls manifold but the genuineness and superiority of the product have been compromised.
"The raw material of Pashmina, called 'Taar' in local parlance, is very soft and suited for traditional loom. Taar cannot sustain the force in a power loom and as a result nylon and other synthetic fibers are added to make it strong. This is what we call fake Pashmina," he said.

He said at present his department cannot bar power looms from spinning Pashmina shawls as the "power loom users argue that they have got registration from the industries department for spinning wool and they say that Pashmina is also a wool".
He said the genuine Pashmina should fulfill three main specifications: it should be obtained from under the fleece of mountain goat Capra Hircus, mostly found in Ladakh region; the fibres known as 'Pashm' should have a diameter of 12 to 16 microns; and it should be hand spun.
"There is an urgent need to reserve this item exclusively for handloom and preserve this craft for future," Ganaie said, adding that once the law is in place, its implementation will be the responsibility of his department.