Saving ajrak

The process of making ajrak is laborious, highly complex and comprises 21 stages and hundreds of thousands of artisans, handicrafts workers, experts, designers. Ajrak experts and artisans from Jeejal Sindh say that ajrak industrial units in various parts of Jeejal Sindh have been closed down due to non-supply of a chemical made in India, commonly known as Quinizarin which is an inexpensive dye that is used to colour gasoline and some heating oils. It is used as an intermediate for the synthesis of indanthrene- and alizarin-derived dyes.They fear that if the non-supply of this chemical continues then thousands of workers will not only lose their sole source of livelihood, the government will also be losing a lot of revenue which they earn by making and selling ajrak both inland and abroad. The prime minister is requested to direct the relevant ministry to take pragmatic efforts to supply the desired quality dying chemical to the ajrak industry.Hashim AbroIslamabad

from The News International - Newspost https://ift.tt/37JRPA1