A STUDY OF SOCIOECONOMIC PROFILE OF THE ARTISANS OF HANDICRAFT SECTOR WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO KASHMIR

The handicraft sector has a prominent place in the development of the rural industrial sector. It is made with low cost of inputs and can give high livelihood earning opportunities to the artisans. Jammu and Kashmir have been one of the leading state in terms of making of handicraft. It has the competitive advantage over other states in making of handicraft especially its Kashmiri Shawl, Wood Carving, Papier Machie, Chain Stitch, Crewel and Namdha etc. the main objective of the paper is to examine the socio economic profile of the artisans. Both primary and secondary data have been used in the analysis. The findings revealed that human capital emerges to be a livelihood asset that acts as a building block or means of achieving livelihood outcomes. Human capital represents skills, knowledge, ability to labor, physical capability and good health that together enable people to pursue different livelihood strategies and achieve their livelihood objectives. The handicrafts sector predominately exists in the form of small family businesses both in rural and urban areas; however, it is more common in rural areas as a secondary source of livelihood, especially when communities are not engaged in their primary occupation of agriculture. Its pro-poor characteristics like locally available raw material and skill, low or minimum infrastructural requirement makes it a preferred livelihood option in households with limited financial resources. Understanding of human assets and their needs is crucial, and therefore necessitates research based inputs. Since the artisans reported exploitation by master-weavers and low returns; cooperatives seem to have a better role in strengthening and empowering the artisans socially and financially.