MULTAN,Feb 19th: Chief Executive officer of National productivity organisation (NPO)Khawaja Muhammad Yousaf has said that Despite the invasion of modern architecture, art, craft and western culture, the artisans and craftsmen in Southern Punjab are trying to produce marvels reminiscent of the past rich cultural heritage.Delivering his speech here at Multan Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI) he said that different regions of Southern Punjab are distinctive for various kinds of crafts with each having its own style and MCCI under the presidentship of Malik Asrar Ahmed Awan was promoting the art and craft of this area. So attractive and skillfully designed are these crafts that one cannot stop admiring them and the hands which created them.The embroidery work by home-based women workers from Multan, Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalpur often gives a deep insight into the minds of creators.Huge amount of time and effort goes into producing volumes of embroidered clothes, chunri, khussa, bed-sheets, caps, cushions and decorative pieces - rich in Islamic culture - by the local craftswomen from these areas. The hand-made products also include embroidered clothes, vegetable block printing, ralli work, loom work and decorative pieces gilded with colourful beads and threads.The craftswomen, playing an admirable role in keeping the traditional crafts alive, have also felt the effects of modern trends and the economic crunch affecting the overall produce.“Gone are the days when the people treasured these traditional items. The colourful Multani cap, kurta and decorated Bahawalpuri khussa with shining sole were in high demand, but the changing trends also impacted the art,” opined Khawaja Yousaf CEO of NPO said it is quite good to arrange exhibitions as there exists a class, which still craves for its traditional roots.He also admitted that these articles were purchased at lower rates and sold at comparatively higher prices and stressed that real hurdles faced by the artisans should be removed.“These traditional items are common in the respective area and can be purchased at affordable prices but when these are marketed to other cities, the prices of items at once shoot up to certain level where a person has to think twice before purchase,”he said He said preparation of an item is time consuming and the artisan is usually not paid according to the hard work he or she puts in its preparation.The craftswomen are also of the view that the issue is associated with the changing trends in the society. “The art is not on the wane, but is at pause due to prevailing trends in fashion. Our skills require proper and conducive environ where monetary factor cannot be neglected,” a craftswoman from Dera Ghazi Khan said. These craftswomen work ceaselessly to produce these specialized items but the minimum wages paid by the promoters gives disappointment rather than a ray of hope on financial horizon.


Most of the home-based workers have to compromise on meager price of these items and a lucrative offer for their work of art is very rare. “These are issues commonly faced by the custodians of our rich cultural heritage, a network should be made to vigorously market the matchless hand-crafted items besides compensating them at least equivalent to their hard work,” Zakir Kayani, a promoter of traditional items remarked.