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Human vanity is leading almost to extinction of the rare Tibetan antelope, locally known as Chiru in Jammu and Kashmir. The Shahtoosh shawl, made out of its wool, bears the reputation of a collector’s item and hence its hunting. Rajesh Bhat reports from Kashmir
They say that its flesh is the greatest enemy of the deer. For the Chiru of Kashmir, it’s the warm, soft wool it produces and which is used to make the famed Shahtoosh shawl of Kashmir that has been its undoing. The endangered Tibetan antelope’s hunting went to such an extent that the Supreme Court had to step in to its rescue by declaring weaving and trading in the shawl illegal. Since then there has been a considerable slump in the production of the Shahtoosh shawls in Kashmir. But the ban on the trade and decline in its weaving has in no way given a fresh lease of life to the Chiru, say experts and it continues to be killed by poachers.
With the number of Chirus (Pantholops Hodgsoni) just around 10,000, the wildlife experts apprehend their extinction by another decade if no measures are taken to protect this rare antelope, which basically is not an Indian habitat animal but journeys to Ladakh area of Jammu and Kashmir in the annual migration for a brief breeding stint.
According to A K Shrivastav, chief wildlife warden of J & K, the Chiru killings take place mostly in Tibet or hilly routes leading to China and not in India but the wool finds its way to Kashmir either through mountainous ranges of Ladakh or via the infamous Nepal-Delhi-Kashmir smuggling route. In the Kashmir valley, craftsmen with their skill weave a shawl of the most delicate and exquisite quality known as Shahtoosh in addition to already existing famous Pashmina shawl. The Kashmiris simply call it ``Toosh shawls”
It was in the light of the Supreme Court directive of November, 2005 that the people of J & K and elsewhere possessing Shahtoosh shawls were asked to reveal their royal robes (also called ‘Ring Shawls’ as it can pass even through a wedding ring), to legally make them a part of their winter wear or add to the collection of their wardrobes.
Following the verdict, 944 highly influential people of J & K possessing this privileged commodity obtained from their ancestors, have approached the state government during the last two years to get the legal certificate of ownership of such shawls. They included top bureaucrats, businessmen, relatives of film stars, even people from the media. Ironically, very few politicians approached the J&K Government’s Wildlife Department with their declaration of the Shahtoosh Shawls.
After the declaration process, these shawls were punched with electronic computerised chips listing every information pertaining to the breed, year and process of manufacture. However, Shrivastav guesstimates that there might still be a good number of individuals who possess the shawls illegally or are unaware of the SC deadline to make their royal robes public.
It is believed that originally there were very few Shahtoosh shawls as their use was justified only in high mountaneous ranges of Korakaram, Tibet or Kashmir, which witnesses extreme cold weather from Ocober to April. The British in the pre-Independence era, however, introduced it to the world which led to its demand. Subsequently, the antelope was hunted down specifically for its wool and this led to it now being listed as an endangered species. Ironically, it was later acquired by even those in hot and humid areas of India and the places in the globe where, except for being a mere status symbol, there was no need for the ring shawl. While clamouring for the prestigious Shahtoosh shawl, these people may have hardly any idea about the sad tale of death and slaughter behind the veneer of luxury. At least six Chirus are killed for producing a single shawl, opines Shrivastav.
Chirus live in one of the harshest environments on earth at an altitude of over 5,000 metres above the sea level. They are migratory; move from Mongolia to Tibet and enter Ladakh region in a mauch fewer number at points in Cheng Chenmo and Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) regions close to the Aksai Chin every year for a brief stint. Shrivastav says that this year around 350 Chirus were located on the Indian side.
Prior to the SC direction, J &K was the only place where the commercial business of Shahtoosh shawls continued for a considerable period of time. It was lobbied and argued that by banning this trade, the State will be deprived of an indigenous industry for which it is known world-wide.
Subsequently, the Wildlife Protection Society of India ( WPSI) filed a Public Interest Litigation ( PIL) initially in J&K High Court and later a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court.. After many legal wrangles, the Apex Court, finally in November 2005, came to the rescue of Chiru. The three Judge Bench headed by Justice Ruma Pal, directed J & K government to put an immediate ban on Shahtoosh weaving and trade .
The Shahtoosh weavers and traders pleaded for re-consideration on certain grounds. The SC Court order, however, pointed out that the weavers could take up alternative livelihoods, such as weaving of Pashmina shawl where the animal is not killed for the wool. The bench observed that at the current rate of Shahtoosh-weaving, the animal would soon become extinct and then in any case, the trade would end. The advocate representing J& K government had suggested captive breeding as an alternative. The Court, however, observed that these initiatives can be taken up in the future when techniques are developed but in the meantime, the law must be enforced to protect the species from extinction.
In addition to SC ruling, and as an indirect consequence of ongoing militancy in J & K, there has been a considerable decline of Shahtoosh trade. The people apprehend that search and cordon operations might anyway reveal the possessors of such banned items. In such circumstances, Shahtoosh traders and craftsmen do not venture to smuggle the wool into the valley or collect the consignments. Further, in absence of able craftsmen, who are a fast depleting tribe, the trade is apparently dying its own death. However, it does not mean that Shahtoosh shawls are not being woven at all, the officials maintain, adding that its highly clandestine weaving must be continuing in some thickly populated down-town localities of Srinagar or in remote and selective pockets of the valley. A trader, who had been in the business of shawl weaving, confides that an ordinary man cannot judge as to what kind of shawl is being woven - Pashmina, Raffal or Shahtoosh - as the technique, instruments and processes are almost similar.
The Shahtoosh, in fact, is not an issue concerning J&K alone. Over 90 percent of Chiru population is found in the Tibetan autonomous region and Qinghai province of China . The wool of the antelope is smuggled into India in violation of 166 signatory nations to CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) and wildlife laws of India .
The Supreme Court of India has come to the rescue of Chiru. It is now the customer alone who can help stop this illegal trade by simply refusing to buy Shahtoosh products. Vanity, after all, has a price.
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