Passionate about music, 26-year-old Shabir Ahmad Bhat of Kanil Mohalla, Chrar-e-Sharief always wanted to become a singer. But “fate did not support” him for that. Soon after completing his secondary education, Shabir has to leave his studies and start traditional family profession of kanil kaem (wickerwork) to provide some help to his economically distressed family. Now for more than 10 years into the profession, Shabir says, the demand for wicker craft has so much dwindled that he is hardly able to make his ends meet. A master craftsman, Shabir not…
Read MoreFamed Kashmir’s traditional wicker craft struggles to survive
