Lift shahtoosh ban in J&K, says House panel

THE TRADERS IN THE VALLEY WELCOMED THE PROPOSAL, BUT IT DREW FLAK FROM ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS AND ENVIRONMENTALISTS

A parliamentary panel has recommended lifting of a ban on the trade in shahtoosh shawls, woven from the fur of an endangered Tibetan antelope, to provide livelihood opportunities to many in conflict-ridden Jammu and Kashmir.

The shahtoosh trade was banned globally in 1975 under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to which India is a signatory.

The antelope is listed in Schedule I of the India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, granting it the highest level of protection.

The Jammu and Kashmir government, which was initially reluctant to impose the ban on the ground that thousands of families were depended on the trade for their living, eventually extended the restriction in 2000 after a drastic fall in the number of antelopes, locally called chiru.

Shahtoosh, which literally means “king of wools” in Persian, is woven from the underfur of a chiru and is considered one of the finest wools because it is light yet warm. The weaving of Shahtoosh is a skill that is traditionally unique to Kashmiris.

The parliamentary committee headed by Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury suggested that the environment ministry “should conserve and breed the chiru goats” on vast tracts of land and give the antelopes to weavers for collecting wool.

The rationale is that regulated farming of the animals will not only revive the industry but also the chiru population.

Traders in the valley welcomed the proposal, but it drew flak from environmentalists and animal rights activists, who fear the move would promote the hunting of the endangered species, leading to its complete extinction.

“It will be good if the ban is reversed because a large section of people was dependent on the industry,” said Sajjad Gul, spokesperson for the Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Federation (KTMF).

On the concerns raised by the conservationists, Gul claimed it’s not necessary to kill the animal to extract its fur for the wool. But he admitted that poachers do kill chirus for wool. PETA India’s chief executive officer Poorva Joshipura, however, rubbished the claim that animals need not be killed to collect fur.

“Those who peddle shahtoosh have long been attempting to fool consumers into believing that the animals are not killed,” Joshipura said.

Three to four chirus are killed to make a shawl that is allegedly sold for $1000 to $5000 and sometimes even up to $20,000 in the international market, according to research. There are other similar estimates too.