The third year of Jammu and Kashmir Festival at London calls for the preservation of Pashmina in the eminent presence of Bob Blackman, MP for Harrow East and in association with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).
Mr. Babar Afzal, founder of the Pashmina Goat Project, led the panel discussion by charting his personal journey into the mountains of Ladakh and sharing his experiences of a “Shepherd's life”. Babar who is a pashmina Artist, Activist and a pashmina goat shepherd himself has been referred many a time as “the most credible voice on Pashmina in the world”. But like many other Kashmiris, Babar said-
“While I was growing up the only thing that I wanted was to do was leave and never come back.” But one headline in the Telegraph about 25,000 Pashmina goats starving to death and Babar gave up his corporate life to explore the Kashmiri terrains he didn't even know existed before.
A short film “Call of Pashmina” was also screened that provided an insight into the “making of the Pashmina.” The film has already won a number of international awards is being screened at the British Documentary Film Festival on 3rd November in London. What followed was Babar's innovative plans of creating a global Pashmina world through various projects, the pioneer being “Pashmina Goat Project.”
This project also aims to create awareness about authentic Pashminas among the consumers so that they cannot be fleeced by retailers with duplicate products. But at the same time, Mr. Afzal hopes that this would help put Jammu and Kashmir in a positive light when terrorist related negative news stories are increasingly being covered.
