PASHMINA SHAWLS – GEOGRAPHY
News: Pashmina shawls have Shahtoosh guard hair, say Customs officials; all fluff, counter traders and artisans
What's in the news?
● Traders
of universally-prized Pashmina shawls are complaining that “obsolete testing
methods” have resulted in many of their export consignments being flagged for
presence of ‘Shahtoosh’ guard hair, which is obtained from endangered Tibetan
antelopes.
● The traders claim the use of obsolete techniques such as ‘Light Microscopy’ by the authorities has resulted in several cases of ‘false positive’ leading to their wrongful prosecution.
Pashmina:
● Pashmina
is obtained from breeds of mountain goats (Capra hircus) found in the
Changthang Plateau in Tibet and parts of Ladakh, in the Himalayan region of
India.
● The
word Pashmina comes from the Persian
word 'Pashm' which means 'soft gold'.
● It
is indigenous to the high altitude regions of Leh-Ladakh and Jammu &
Kashmir.
Features:
● It
is well known for its warmth, lightweight, and softness in addition to its
characteristic dye absorbing property.
● Pashmina
has been accredited by the Guinness Book
of World Records for being the costliest cloth in the world.
● Pashmina wool is the finest version of cashmere and it is thinner than human hair and highly prized in the international market.
Usage:
● It
is known for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items.
● Manufacture
of Pashmina is a largely unorganised
cottage/handicraft industry providing employment and livelihood to
approximately 6 lakh people, most notably to local skilled villagers and
artisans in Kashmir.
● India contributes only about 1% of the world’s Pashmina, but the Pashmina produced in India is considered the best of the lot and occupies a unique position.
BIS for Pashmina:
● Due
to restricted availability and high prices, adulteration of Pashmina with sheep
wool/ultra-fine merino wool is a common practice by manufacturers. In 2019, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
published an Indian Standard for identification, marking and labeling of
Pashmina products to certify their purity.
● In
2021, the BIS released a revised report titled ‘Identification, Labelling and
Marking of Pashmina Products’ that mandated directions for incorporating
qualitative and quantitative identification of Shahtoosh guard hair.
● The Pashmina traders say the BIS testing standards are still to be implemented by the forensic authorities.
GI tag:
● Kashmir Pashmina has been assigned a Geographical indication (GI) tag under the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
Shahtoosh:
● It
is the fine undercoat fiber obtained from the Tibetan Antelope, known locally as ‘Chiru’, a species living mainly
in the northern parts of the Changthang Plateau in Tibet.
● As
they offer high levels of smoothness and warmth, Shahtoosh shawls became a
highly expensive commodity.
● Banned by CITES:
○ Unfortunately, due to commercial poaching of the animal, their population declined dramatically. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna & Flora) included the Tibetan Antelope in 1979 leading to prohibition in sale and trade of Shahtoosh shawls and scarves.
Chiru:
● Chiru inhabits high-altitude Tibetan plateau and requires a large expanse of land for its movement and ranging patterns to fulfill its feeding and breeding requirements.
Protection status:
● IUCN
Red List - Near threatened.
● It
has been enlisted in Schedule I of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
● To
enhance its protection, its prime habitats have been declared as Wildlife
Sanctuaries viz. Karakorma Wildlife
Sanctuary and Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary located in Ladakh.