City of Craft: Kashmiri Artisans and the Urban Everyday in Srinagar

Speaker : Huzaafa (Stanford University)
Discussant : Laurent Gayer (CERI-Sciences Po / CNRS)
Chair : Christophe Jaffrelot (CERI-Sciences Po / CNRS)

As the site of a 79-year-old conflict between India and Pakistan, Kashmir is one of the most militarized regions in the world. Amidst this long-term violence, the region’s nearly 600-year-old handicraft industry continues to persist. Recently as a testament to its rich artisanal heritage, Srinagar, the capital city of Indian-controlled-Kashmir, was designated a ‘Creative City’ by the UNESCO Creative City Network and a ‘World Craft City’ by the World Craft Council. Craftwork is embedded in the way Srinagar has functioned for centuries, having been the main source of people’s income. How have these elaborate craft histories sustained through the region’s conflict, and what continuities do they impart to an otherwise ruptured urban space? This talk centers the everyday work and life experiences of Kashmiri handicraft artisans to engage with questions of history, mobility, and urban life in the region. The city as an interconnected network of neighborhoods, linked by artisanal workshops and shrines, persists alongside the presence of armed bunkers and checkpoints, revealing the contours of everyday social life and people’s persistent historical and religious imaginaries.