The recent statement by the Union Minister for Textiles Kashiram Rana in The Indian Express, saying that his Ministry will be attempting to lift the ban on shahtoosh weaving, has come as a shock to wildlife conservationists advocating a stricter ban on shahtoosh weaving in J-K.‘‘This is a shocking statement for a Union Minister to make. Given the status of this animal and the fact that it is given highest protection in China, India and Nepal, there cannot be any misunderstanding on this,’’ said Aniruddha Mookerjee, Director (Programmes), Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).A shahtoosh shawl is made from wool taken from the Tibetan Antelope or Chiru, a wild animal found at very high altitudes at temperatures that can fall below minus 14 degrees Centigrade. This animal is killed for its wool and then smuggled into Kashmir.Chiru is an endangered animal and since 1979 is protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act of India (1972). This means that any trade in this animal or its parts is illegal.The Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) lists the Chiru or the Tibetan antelope in Appendix I, banning its trade completely.International efforts to save this animal were thwarted by the fact that J-K had permitted shahtoosh trade in defiance of CITES. In May 2002, the J-K High Court ordered the state government to enforce CITES in the state.In a study done by the WTI of the shahtoosh workers in the Kashmir valley, the number of workers involved in it is less than 15,000. Over 60 per cent want to opt out of because its market is shrinking and raw material is difficult to get.Experts believe that the only solution lies in giving Kashmir pashmina the unique place it deserves.
