Despite being the practicing lawyer, a 25 year-old Ali is continuing the legacy of his forefathers of selling Kangris (traditional Kashmiri fire pot) in winters to support the continuity of his siblings.
Ali Mohammad Dar says that soon after he finishes his Court work, he goes to different areas of Srinagar to sell Kangri not only to earn money, but to continue the legacy of his forefathers, who have been into the business for decades.
“During the holidays, I move to far flung areas to sell the fire pots while during the working days, I roam around the city only to sell them,” he said.
Hailing from Charar-e-Sharief area of central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Ali says that he has been selling Kangris for the past 13 years.
“It was my late father’s dream to see me in lawyer’s black suit,” Ali said.
Till last year, Ali was pursuing Law degree from Kashmir Law College and from this year he has started practicing at Lower Court Srinagar.
“I have four sisters and a brother. I want all of them to study, so I took up my father’s business of selling Kangris,” Ali said, adding that post his father’s death in 2016 everything looked impossible but their family coped up since then.
Hailing from Charar-i-Sharief town of Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, Ali further said that his sisters help him in making Kangris by peeling off the twigs and interweaving them into the shape of a web.
Not only Ali, but his brother Zahoor Ahmad Dar (21), a first year college student also helps the family to earn the major chunk by selling the Kangris from dawn and dusk.
Ali’s younger brother Zahoor says that “he took up selling Kangris when he was in 8th standard.
Zahoor said, “Business of selling firepots was started by our grandfather and when he passed away the business was handed over to my father from whom we took it up.”
The college-goer reveals that a major chunk of their family income comes from selling Kangris.
Zahoor said, “My struggle as an 8th standard student and a Kangri seller never skipped my mind. I have been doing both jobs for the past seven years now,” he adds. “Now in the morning time, I go for my tuition till afternoon and then sell Kangris till late evening.”
He says that he doesn’t have an option to focus only on his studies as he along with his brother has a family to feed. “I have four sisters among whom two are studying, one is in the final year of graduation and another one has completed 12th standard.”
Interestingly, Zahoor believes that working on his own is better as compared to working under an employer. “I think having your own business is a better option as one isn’t bound by any obligation to work anytime.”
Both Zahoor and Ali reveal that they sell around two thousand firepots every winter which gets them a good amount of money for the family to run their domestic affairs.
Meanwhile, Ali being the head of the family post his father’s death thinks it is his duty to look out and feed the other family members. “I want my brother and sisters to study and that are why I took up ancestral business.”
He reveals that he had taken to Kangri selling when his father was alive. “I was 12 years old when I started selling firepots. My father passed away two years back. My responsibilities have doubled after his death.”
He adds that when his class work was going on, he used to sell Kangris in Srinagar city but during holidays he used to walk miles outside Srinagar to sell his firepots.
Meanwhile, Ali’s 24-year-old sister, (name withheld), a student of Arts says that she peels off the twigs in the morning, while she studies in the late evening hours. “I have to help my brothers as they are striving hard to earn for us.”
Another sister of Ali and Zahoor has completed a nursing degree.
She also helps the family in Kagri making by peeling off the twigs
She says that she does not get enough time to help her brothers as she is busy with her college. “Still I try to help them by peeling off the twigs whenever I get time. I weave the twigs around the earthen pots and to place the earthen fire pots in the twigs.”
