*Kashmir: Sangtaraashs see their art dying*
*Demand for carved stones on decline; youngsters not keen on carrying forward their legacy*
Srinagar, Feb 14 : Sangtarashs (stone carving workmen) in Kashmir are facing an uncertain future as the demand for the carved stones is on decline.
Ghulam Rasool Mir, 60, of Sempora, a sangtarash, who has chiseled hardest of stones into decorative shapes since his childhood believes that this work will be over soon.
Talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) Mir said, “I see the art of stone carving dying as the demand of the products is decreasing with each passing day. The introduction of modern techniques has led to decline in the demand for the carved stones.”
“Youngsters don’t want to learn the art of stone carving as most of them believe that it has no future prospects,” he added.
He said, “Now other material is being used in Hammam and other things in Kashmir which is much cheaper than the famous Devri stone.”
“We suffered huge damage in the 2014 floods as our whole material was washed away but no compensation was paid to us,” Mir lamented.
He said that despite sangtarashs working from morning to evening are hardly earning a few hundred rupees on daily basis.
Abdul Gani another sangtarash said, “The government has been repeatedly asking us to vacate the state land where we are working. If we are displaced around 100 families dependent on this art will get affected.”
Sangtarashs urged LG Manoj Sinha and CM Omar Abdullah to intervene and take steps for reviving this art—
