A Kashmiri in Goa

While on vacations, meeting souls from different world is a kind of thing most of us appreciates, especially when those vacations are in Goa – the heaven for young people and artists from different spheres. It was a fine tropical sunny morning and I was having breakfast, at a restaurant not far from Baga beach, with my friends. I finished breakfast quickly and excused myself.  I needed to visit medical shop to get some antibiotics. While on my way to it I saw a man in his 40s sitting right outside his shop having glasses perched on his wrinkled nose performing art of sculpting on a very fine piece of wood. It was a long rectangular piece of wood as though an edge section of some furniture he might have been working on. I looked at the plank at the top of the shop – Walnut Wood Classic Furniture– without halting.  I had seen the shop already a couple times during my stay in that area and perceived it an antique shop.

While returning from the medical shop I stopped by and asked the man if I can take few photos while he was working. He smiled and generously invited me to click photos.  I ran to the restaurant, asked the friend who had camera in his hands and quickly returned to this artist looking man with camera. He welcomed me and I began clicking pictures. Though I never had much experience with camera I tried my best to click pictures of this woodcrafter while working.

In the process, I started talking to him. My main objective was to know about him and his work. I was very much intrigued by what he was doing with that piece of wood. His hands and chisel were touching that wood with a determination of artist. His name was Mansoor Chacko and he belonged to Kashmir. A Kashmiri Muslim wood crafter. A Kashmiri in Goa –the very thought struck in my head.  This raised my curiosity to know more about him. To him, I was a mere tourist, despite of it I told him a little about myself. He told me that this shop of his deals in classic Kashmiri wooden furniture and showpieces. They all were handmade and example of finest Kashmiri art of wood crafting.

Since, when you are working on that piece of wood?

‘8 days I have been working on it’.

And, how long would it take before it’s ready.

‘20 more days. Approximately’.

How a Kashmiri wood sculptor ends up working at a place which is famous for beaches, beer, babes, and party?

 He looked at my face as though seeking my intention behind this very question.

‘I came to Goa with the help of my uncle in 1989 when insurgency took Kashmir by storm.’

When did you first start working in this craft?

‘When I was 15 or 16, I learnt everything from ‘abba’ my father. I used to watch him giving shape to raw walnut wood. But I never wanted to work in this craft.’

Why? I was astounded by his revelation. He was so good in this art and though he never wanted to work in this craft.

 ‘I have done B.Sc. in Medicine in 1986 and had a seat secured for MBBS in medical college. I could be doctor today. However, father desired me to take this craft further.  I could be sculpting human body today, instead of banging piece of wood and loosing precious eye sight.’

When he spoke, I saw no regret in his eyes as though that sad story of not being able to follow ones ambition wasn’t his, it belonged to someone else. It left me with deep thoughts. He had been in this craft since almost 3 decades without any regret, perhaps he had learnt to love his work.

Since friends were waiting and we were on schedule, I needed to stop my conversation with him and I left him with a promise of paying visit in the evening. Whole day I spent on beaches or bars, however, thought of knowing more about the woodcrafter didn't allow me to have the mirth of Goa. I waited for us to return to our rented apartment and to have a sweet water shower.

Again, when I arrived at his shop he wasn't there, went to see his daughter who was little sick. I waited in front of his shop, gazing at articles placed inside. Every item was distinctive in its own way. And then, I saw him coming in my direction. I was ready with camera to capture as much as I could. We sat down outside his shop and began talking.

He was disappointed by the fact that use of machinery had taken out the uniqueness of this craft. There had been times when crafters would craft every piece of wood with their hand and the finished articles were in itself the signature of that artist. But, now this signature was disappeared you can create many articles and all would look alike, without any distinctiveness. It all happens because they want to achieve the work of 30 days to be done in 7 days. Now it is more like production in factory then a creative process. And, this subverted the appreciation which people used to shower on us because of handwork and distinctiveness, doesn't matter if they buy it or not. Many customers see the articles and say, ‘What is the difference, all lookalike in terms of design.’ though they understand the difference. Everyone is looking for cheap deal over an artists work.

Since now, it is all about ostentation, not appreciation and all about the cheap deal; we also have to make things in that way. This way the fun in sculpting and excellence of art diminishes but we can’t help it. Money is the way to survival. No one pays us the way European artists and sculptors have been paid. We produce the excellent artwork but no one pays us what we deserve for that kind of work.

What first thing you have made out of walnut wood, I asked.

It was a magazine rack and unique in itself. I created it from my imagination. Then I made tables, boxes and other articles. I sculpted stands for Quran and Gita. My created stands are completely different from what you find in the market.  In Kashmir, we mostly use the Mughal arch design. It has a place to keep the holy book when not reading and can use the stand which is a part of box itself when reading. 

Most of my inspiration I drew from my father. Due to interest I used to sit with him and that’s how I learnt this craft.

In Kashmir, we have four basic designs Chinaar, Grapes, Lotus and Rose. These depicts four seasons in Kashmir. However, other designs are mostly taken from different places and cultures and then they were mingled with our basic design. Like, Mughal arch is not a Kashmiri design but when you see it closely you will find the difference.

Let me show you I have written something. When I was writing I didn't know if I would be able to complete it or not, he said.

I thought, he would show me a piece of paper where something had been written. But when he brought me inside his shop and showed a plank of wood, upon which some wonderful art work had been done, I was left astound. Then, I knew what he meant by ‘Written’. He had sculpted his thought on the wood plank. By looking at it from naked eyes no one could say that it was something from already established design. It was the thought in his heart which he had written on wood plank in the form of sculpting.

He had been crafting it since 6 months and doesn't want to sale it since according to him it’s not yet complete.

I asked him, if he would wish to have his son take this art further. He denied it, straightforward. The reasons were obvious, this particular art is dying and people with resources are not willing to save it. Had Kashmir been independent or peaceful this art would have been flourishing. Insurgency had taken away the ways of development and swallowed future of maximum Kashmiris and their coming generations. To him, Kashmiri Pandits left Kashmir due to militancy and started their life all again but for the left behind Kashmiri Muslims it’s an unending effort, they had to start their life all again after every shoot out, after every bomb blast, after every encounter, after every evening, after every night. To them, it’s a never ending torment.

You can take a Kashmiri out of Kashmir but you can’t take Kashmir out of a Khashmiri.

It took me a little while before I understood this fact completely. Even a little more than 2 decades later he wanted to go back to Kashmir. He wanted to live his old age there in peaceful valleys. We all wish for the peace in Kashmir, but his wish is little more than that, It was a craving. Though he had been earning his livelihood in Goa since 2 decades but he had bought no property there to live. He still lives in rented place. His most customers are non Indians who come to Goa and leave with Classic Kashmiri wooden furniture. He had learnt Russian so that he could comfortably deal with them. He recounted the brutal days of insurgency when curfew loomed over misty valleys in Kashmir for many days and in those days to find a pinch of salt for food was a sort of struggle. He gave accounts of ruined Kashmiri generations due to closed schools, colleges and revolution.

He said, Kashmiri can be compared only with Palestinians because the way they crave for their land, similarly a Kashmiri crave for Kashmir. No one in India or Pakistan can understand what it means to be a Kashmiri. We are different people with different sort of things and culture.

Now, to him it doesn't matter who gets Kashmir - India or Pakistan – What he is wishing for, is peace. Grant peace to Kashmir and that’s their only wish. He said something which clearly states the plea of Kashmiri people ‘Ek Taraf Naqab-posh Hai, Dusari Taraf Wardi-posh Hai aur Beech me Safaid-posh, Matlab Kashmiri.’ (At one end we have mask clad terrorists or separatist, at another end we have uniform clad army and in between we are, the white clad Kashmiris)

In the end, he introduced me with his kids, elder daughter ‘Filza’ younger daughter ‘Maliha’ and an infant son ‘Murtuza’. Both his daughters were in school in Kashmir. Their holidays were going on and hence they were with their father in Goa. Despite all what he had seen and felt in life he was looking hopeful for the future of his next generation.

To India or Pakistan, Kashmir is nothing but a strategic location to have control over but to Kashmiris it's their homeland, it’s their motherland. It is everything they have.