Pulwama terror attack to cast shadow on woollen business

Shivani Bhakoo

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, February 17

Local manufacturers fear the Pulwama terror attack would affect the woollen business here as a huge quantity of winter wear is supplied to Kashmir valley from here. The manufacturers and dealers believe their payments will be stopped for the time being.

Talking to The Tribune, Sunil Datt, who supplies woollen shawls and other material to Jammu and Kashmir, said the business would be hit. “Whenever there is any disturbance, it affects the business here. We supply a good quantity of woollen material to Kashmir. But we now fear that the payments will be delayed and further supplies to J&K will be hit too,” he said.

Another manufacturer, Darshan Dawar, however, said he was not supplying goods directly to J&K but through dealers. “We supply sweaters, shawls, jackets and blankets to Jammu and Kashmir. Kashmir has a huge wholesale market. The stocks from Ludhiana are supplied to the entire state and from there further sent to the neighbouring countries. Such terror attacks cast a shadow on the business ties. But we are with the country and Defence forces, and if stopping business will bear fruit, we are ready to do that too. The entire country is hurt at this moment,” said Dawar.

Meanwhile, residents have started “ignoring” persons coming from Kashmir to sell shawls and other material. Khurshid, a shawl-seller from Srinagar, said he had been coming to the city to sell shawls with Kashmiri embroideries for more than 12 years. He rented a room in the Field Ganj area. “But the present situation will cast a shadow on our business too. People will start avoiding us as they think that we, too, can be associated with terrorists. It takes a lot of time to again build the trust,” said Khurshid.