Mumbai 2001:The Shahtoosh shawl, which is made by killing the endangered Tibetan antelope, has traditionally been a part of a north Indian bride’s trousseau for centuries. It is a highly prized and sought after item, handed down by mothers to their daughters.

Today, it has become a fashion statement and its demand has risen multifold. But should the blood of an innocent animal sully an auspicious occasion like a wedding that celebrates the beginning of a completely new life for the bride? Should a bride drape herself with a shawl created from the slaughter of thousands of calving female antelopes, whose calves then die of starvation?

These were some of the questions being raised by WTI and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) at last month’s Bridal Asia exhibition at Pragati Maidan. WTI and IFAW ‘s “Say NO to Shahtoosh” is a global campaign thathas now been endorsed by Bridal Asia. Organisers and most participants of the exhibition, believes that wearing Shahtoosh is cruel and illegal and have supported the WTI campaign.

FILM STARS SUPPORT WTI

At the recently held Lakme India Fashion Week in Mumbai, film stars Hrithik Roshan, Preita Zinta, Ruby Bhatia, Pooja Batra, Manisha Koirala, among others came out in support of the cause and urged the people to give up use of the Shahtoosh shawl. Designers Ritu Kumar, Gitanjali Kashyap, and Kiran Uttam Ghosh are actively working to present alternatives to the shahtoosh shawl in an attempt to convince the consumers to give up the use of the original shahtoosh.

The wool from the Tibetan Antelope or “Chiru” is used to make the prized Shahtoosh shawl. The Shahtoosh wool is plucked from the skin of the endangered Tibetan Antelope only after killing it. More than 20,000 animals are killed every year in China to feed the Shahtoosh shawl weaving industry in the state of Jammu & Kashmir, which is the only processing centre of the wool in the world.

KILLING THE CHIRU

The Tibetan Antelope has been given full protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of India (1972) and trade in its wool or derivatives are illegal and punishable under law. But it is also true that the consumer of the product (the product being the Shahtoosh shawl) is by and large unaware of the source of the wool and is quite ignorant about the fact that the antelope has to be killed to make this shawl.

WTI & IFAW have been building awareness and support for this cause through their ” Say NO to Shahtoosh” campaign, which was initiated in December 2000. Says Aniruddha Mookerjee, Director Programmes, Wildlife Trust of India “There is no place for a cruel thing like a Shahtoosh shawl in an auspicious occasion like a wedding. If brides do not say no to Shahtoosh, an entire species will be wiped off the face of this earth.”

With winter around the corner, WTI is gearing up to spread the message to consumers across the country.