A Kashmiri girl braves odds to save handcrafted creations from extinction

Inshada Bashir Mir is a 29-year-old MBA graduate from Hanjiwera Bala Pattan in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Despite facing challenging circumstances, Inshada, with grit and determination, founded “Tubruk”, which sells a plethora of handcrafted articles, which are the creations of 40 artisans, who work with her.

The products have become so popular that her business has expanded into Mumbai, Bengaluru, Delhi and Jaipur.

Inshada dreams of making “Tubruk” an international brand wherein the handmade crafts of Jammu and Kashmir get the attention and clientele that they deserve. This, global popularity, is certain to a fresh lease of life to the art and artisans, who are on the verge of extinction.

Inshada was invited as a panelist to share her success story in the recently held “Kula - 23 Conclave” organised by “200 Million Artisans”, a social enterprise enabling ecosystem for craft-led enterprises for the community in Bangalore.

Narrating her successful journey to this correspondent, Inshada explained that “Tubruk” is a Kashmiri word meaning a souvenir and blessing. “When I approached artisans with business proposals, they just saw me as a little child and laughed,” she says.

The young lady had dreamt of establishing a business at her native place while studying crafts management in Srinagar Craft Development Institute. She had learned the basics and value supply chains but the challenge was to deal with the existing ground realities in Kashmir.

On whether she was allowed to run a business by the family, Inshada explained that she belonged to a family that was into the business of carpets.

“Outsiders think Muslim women are not allowed to carry out business. However, my father’s advice on my adventure was negative. Don’t start a business as it is risky, was his opinion. But, as I was resolute on my decision, he did not stop me from pursuing my dream. He is there for me all the time. My mother supported my dream as well.

“I started my business by making advance payments to artisans. I procured new designs of shawls, stoles, jewels, earrings, laptop covers and other articles with signature embroidery works. You have to take that one first step and you will realize there are many out there to help you. You have to do it with a creative mindset,” Inshada said.

She participated in the Bengaluru Exhibition that was organised by the NGO Commitment to Kashmir in 2018. After that she attended a few more events, which helped her widen horizons from new contacts, networks and market.

“I started with four to five artisans. Now, I feel proud that I am working with 40 to 50 of them. A bigger delight for me is that I pay them in advance. Now, my aim is to take Tubruk to the international level,” she says.

Around 200 million, artisans under the leadership of its founder Priya Krishnamoorthy, are doing great work to bring together the handicraft artisans and enterprises community and promote this sector, she said.

“It has been a good platform to discuss measures to save this sector and to keep alive the fad for the mesmerizing handcrafted creations,” Inshada says.