The two Sozni artisans from the Sonpah village at Beerwah tehsil in central Kashmir’s Budgam district received the Shilp Guru and National Award for their sozni work from Vice President of india Jagdeep Dhankhar.
The Shilp Guru and National Award ceremony was held at Vigyan Bhawan and was organised by the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India.
Sozni Artisans Bashir Ahmad Bhat ,son of Ghulam Mohammad Bhat 57 years of age have received the Shilp Guru Award and Safdar Ali Mir , son of Mohammad Jaffar Mir , 35 years of age has received the national award for sozni work. Both artisans are from Sonpah village in Beerwah tehsil.
While talking to the Rising Kashmir, Bashir Ahmad Bhat said that I had received an Shilp Guru award from the President of India. Another person from my village, Safdar Ali Mir, also received the national award from the President of India in the Shilp Guru and National Awards ceremony that was held at Vigyan Bhawan.
“I have been associated with this work for the last 45 years, as most of the people in our village also earn their livelihood through this art.” “My brother’s and my children are also doing this work in our family; they are also earning their livelihood from this art,” he said.
Bhat said Safdar Ali Mir, who has received this award, has been associated with this work for the past 25 years. He is also one of the artisans from our village who has made significant contributions to this art.
“Nothing is difficult in life if a person is willing to do the hard work in his or her life.” Today I received this award, and tomorrow another artisan from the Kashmir Valley will receive it. I have trained hundreds of unemployed youths, including boys and girls, in various villages of the Beerwah tehsil, who are earning a good source of income from this art,” He said
Adding that It is our responsibility and duty to preserve this traditional Kashmiri art, and it should be transmitted to other youths. As people are calling this art as a “dying art”.
“The Shilp Guru and National Awards to Master Craftspersons were distributed for the years 2017, 2018, and 2019.” Due to the pandemic, the event couldn’t be organised physically. “We have to attend this year.” he informed.
” In the year 2005, I have received the national award for my sozni work. In 2011. i have received an appreciation certificate from the ambassador of Tehran. In the year 2016, i have participated in the ten-day Brics handicraft Aristans exchange program, which was held at the India Institute of Craft and Design (IICD) in Jaipur. The artisans from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa participated in this Brics programme,” He added.
