Pattan village’s ’empowered’ women propel water chestnut industry

Baramulla, Feb 26: In the village of Gohal-Chaku, located in the Pattan Tehsil of the Baramulla district in North Kashmir, women are the driving force behind the thriving dried water chestnut industry.
Around 70 percent of women in the village are involved in this industry, serving as a lively example of women’s empowerment.
Gohal village is situated approximately 7 kilometers from the main town of Pattan.
Despite facing numerous challenges, the women of this village work tirelessly to make a living and preserve their traditional means of livelihood.
According to locals, almost 70% of the female population of Gohal-Chaku is engaged in the collection, cleaning, and preparation of water chestnuts, which are sold to local traders or in different parts of the valley.
This industry has been thriving for generations, with the skills and knowledge of the trade passed down from one generation of women to the next.
Sakeena Akhtar, a local of Chaku village, told Rising Kashmir that the women folk face several challenges in their daily lives but they never made it an excuse to sit back and cry for having no work.
She has been accompanying her mother in the water chestnut preparation process for the past three years.
“Harsh weather conditions of Kashmir, lack of proper infrastructure and equipment, and competition from other water chestnut producers in the valley, make it difficult for us to sell our produce at a fair price,” Sakeena added.
A 55-year-old woman Shameema Begum who has been preparing water chestnuts her entire life is continuing to work hard to support her family.
She said that her work has been passed down from their forefathers and is considered a blessing.
The water chestnuts produced in Gohal-Chaku are highly regarded for their exceptional health benefits and mineral-rich composition.
Shameema said that the preparation process involves retrieving the chestnuts from the Jhelum or Wular river, boiling them for 40 to 60 minutes using the traditional Kashmiri Daan- firewood stove, and carefully removing the burr of the chestnuts.
“The process of making the dried chestnuts involves checking the water content of the chestnuts, making a bonfire, and buffeting the chestnuts with bamboo sticks or fat batons. Some people have even now acquired machines for this process,” she added.
She said that the men folk in the village usually sell the chestnuts in different parts of the valley throughout the day while the women are engaged in the preparation of water chestnuts until late in the evening, enabling them to prepare a fresh stock for the next day’s sales.
The women of Gohal-Chaku village are to be commended for their dedication to preserving their traditional means of livelihood and supporting their families through their hard work.
Irshad Ahmad, from Gohul village sells the dried chestnuts in Baramulla said that each kilogram costs around rupees 200.
“I sell around a kilo or two every day and people like to consume it especially people with hyperthyroidism and hyperglycemia,” he said.
Dried chestnuts have been found to have numerous health benefits and are frequently recommended by physicians for individuals suffering from conditions such as hyperthyroidism and hyperglycemia.