J&K to ban Shahtoos trade

By Shujaat Bukhari

SRINAGAR, JUNE 29. The Jammu & Kashmir Government is contemplating to impose a ban on the controversial Shahtoos trade and going to amend the State Wildlife Act for the purpose.

Speaking to reporters at a function organised to inaugurate composite rehabilitation camp (CRC) here, the Chief Minister, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, said, ``finally Shahtoos has to be stopped''.

``We are actually going to promote the Pashmina sector of the shawl industry in a larger way,'' he said adding that ``our exhibition has been to Paris and soon they are going to the U.S.. We are not going to give up our shawl trade.''

When asked whether the State theory of Shahtoos theory has been proved wrong said ``it is not that, in fact world opinion is going against it''. People were receiving flak as is the case with fur.

``If we are not able to wear it outside the State, what is the use,'' he asked. But the State Government is going to regulate the sales. ``From now, we will ask the traders to stop it and will compensate their losses for which many proposals are under consideration.''

The Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, who has been criticising the State for not banning Shahtoos trade, said the ``J & K High Court had also ruled out against this trade''.

The State and Central Governments have been on a confrontation path on the issue for last few years. While the Centre has been holding the view that Shatoos shawls are manufactured by slaughtering the chiru (Tibetan antelope) in the Ladakh area on the China border, the State's plea is that the chiru automatically sheds the wool while going through bushes and is not being killed.

According to the Central Law, the Shahtoos trade is banned but the State Wildlife Act permits the trade.

Thousands of shawl traders would lose the livelihood with the banning of the trade in the State.

They have already been the victim of the Centre's actions by which raids are being conducted on the traders in the last several years outside the State.

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