Bat making has been practiced in Kashmir since the early 20th century, with handcrafted willow bats exported across South Asia and to cricket hubs like Australia, prized for their durability and quality.

On the National Highway in Sangam, one of Kashmir’s key bat-making hubs, over 50 factories now operate side by side. In just a decade, Kashmir’s bat production has grown from 250,000 to three million annually – a fifteen-fold leap that reflects the industry’s rapid rise.

One of the most senior staff members, Hassan Kaak, has been working here since 1992 or as he puts it, “since Imran Khan won the World Cup”.
“We’re trying to get better prices and negotiate with the Cricket Bat Union, who hold the license for international exports,” Hassan Kaak explains, gesturing toward stacks of bats ready to be shipped to Australia.

The journey of a cricket bat begins with the Kashmir willow tree, prized for its balance of durability and weight. Native to the region, the willow is cut into billets, raw blocks from which bats are carved. Slightly denser than English willow, it makes for heavier, but more affordable and long-lasting bats. The trees are usually harvested between the ages of 15 and 20 years. The grains that appear on the bat face are the growth rings of the trunk, the patterns of grains determine the quality of the bat.

The trunks are split into three-sided clefts, roughly the length of a bat blade. Still swollen, rough-edged, and heavy with moisture, “It takes two hands to lift one” says Hassan Kaak. The clefts are stacked in tall drying sheds for nearly a year. As they shrink and whiten, losing water and weight, the raw cleft slowly begins to resemble a bat.

Once dried, the willow clefts are carved into bats. The rough ends are trimmed, and each piece passes through a shaping machine, giving the wood its first rough outline. From there, skilled workers begin shaving the blade by hand.

“Handles are typically made from cane or bamboo, with top-grade bamboo imported from Singapore for professional-quality bats,” explains Hussan Kaak. The handle, round on one end and V-shaped on the other, is fitted into a carved slot at the bat’s base and secured with industrial adhesive using a clamp, ensuring it can absorb the impact of the ball. Once joined, the bat undergoes multiple finishing processes to smoothen its surface and refine its final shape.

Once the handle is joined, the bat undergoes several finishing processes to refine its final shape. The blade is shaved down by hand, smoothened, and carefully contoured to ensure balance, proper weight distribution, and a clean grain – crucial for performance on the field.

After drying, the grains stretch across the blade. Darker grains are often preferred by serious players and seasoned professionals.

Thin curls of wood fall as carpenter-turned-bat maker Rajat shaves down the blade, exposing the straight, dark grains beneath: the natural barcode of the tree’s life. The darker lines reveal summer-hardened willow- drier and denser.
Poor finishing weakens the bat’s precision, so workers carefully shave down the joint after the handle is inserted to achieve a flawless join where cane meets willow.

Strength is pressed into the bat as Bashir Ahmed operates the hydraulic press, compressing the willow to harden its fibers and enhance durability. The process flattens the surface, toughens the wood, and prepares the bat to endure the impact of fast-paced games.

Just outside the factory, small shops line the road, an informal ecosystem built around the bat trade. This string, used to wrap the bat handle for grip, is sold by relatives of the factory owners. In this industry, every family plays a part in the business from shaping blades to supplying finishing touches.

Branding happens here for locally sold bats. Stickers, some original, others mimicking global brands like Kookaburra are applied here. Bats meant for export leave the factory unbranded, left for importers to add their own labels. But the ones finished here are displayed outside, lining roadside showrooms for locals and passing tourists.

After their successful use in Men’s T20 and One Day Internationals, Kashmir willow bats made their debut at the 2024 Women’s International T20 World Cup. English willow bats still dominate the market, but Kashmiri bats are catching up. Their presence on this global stage challenges the misconception that Kashmiri bats are heavier or inferior and also signals growing recognition of their improvement in design and quality.

Last year, cricket bats were officially included in the category of notified handicrafts, allowing bat-makers to access welfare schemes under the National Handicraft Development Program. They were also granted a GI (Geographical Indication) tag, a mark of authenticity and promise of quality, placing them alongside Kashmiri icons like Pashmina. Many here hope the move will bring pride, protection, and new growth to the industry.

“The future of bat-making is here,” he shares, reflecting on the industry as many of his favorite players have retired. Now, he looks to the next generation, hoping his children will carry Kashmir’s bat-making craft onto the global stage.
Hassan Kaak is no stranger to the recent buzz around Kashmir willow bats, especially after the Shark Tank controversy, which many in the cricket circuit and the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir state portrayed one company as the sole face of the industry.
“Look at my white hair,” he laughs. “I’ve been doing this since I was a little boy.”
He believes the focus for young people and the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir should be on growing profits, safeguarding the craft, and ensuring that its true value reaches the families who have made bats for generations.

“Unseen Struggles” is a public service advertisement by Nazakat Aslam, Faria Farooq and Amaan Rasheed that explores the hidden battles of mental health. Through the intertwined stories of two protagonists, one who outwardly appears cheerful and another who seems visibly depressed. The ad underscores the critical importance of checking in on loved ones. It reveals that appearances can be deceiving, as the seemingly happy character tragically succumbs to their internal struggles, while the visibly depressed character survives. The message is clear, mental health issues aren’t always visible, and it’s crucial to reach out and offer support to everyone, regardless of how they appear on the outside.

Aalima Qayoom and Toyyibah Ansar’s radio ad about the hazards of texting while driving.

Advertisement by Ibtisam, Madiha, Zubair, Shaizan

Advertisement by Faizaan Bhat and Minah Wani

The two-day Film Fest organised by Department of Journalism & Mass Communication concluded at Government College for Women, M.A. Road, Srinagar on Saturday (June 17).

The event was organised in collaboration with Film Southasia (FSA) & Hri Institute for Southasian Research and Exchange. Several critically acclaimed documentaries were screened followed by interactive sessions. A workshop and an exhibition was also part of the two-day event.

Resource persons for the event included Ms. Laxmi Murthy, Mr. Alok Adhikari and Mr. Pawas Manandhar. The event was attended by students and faculty members of the college.

On the first day of the fest, four films were screened including ‘Taangh’ (Longing), ‘God’s Buffalo’ and ‘Gurkha Girls’. Besides, home production of the Journalism department ‘Ayesha’ was also premiered on the occasion.

On the second day, workshop on the theme ‘Reframing Visual Depiction of Women and Sexual Violence’ was held in which the students expressed their thoughts in creative forms including sketches and poems. It was followed by the screening of the documentary ‘City That Spoke to Me’.

Meanwhile, an exhibition titled ‘Create, Collaborate, Catalyse: Reflections on Sexual Violence in South Asia’ was also held on the sidelines of the event.

Earlier, in her introductory speech, Ms Laxmi Murthy spoke about the power of documentary films not only to highlight pressing societal issues but also challenge problematic narratives around issues like gender discrimination and violence.

About the workshop, she said the broader aim was to look at the depiction of women and sexual violence. “We are trying to reframe and change the way women are depicted in films, art works, news and entertainment media,” Ms. Murthy added.

Mr. Adhikari moderated the post-screening discussions while Mr. Manandhar moderated the workshop proceedings with Ms. Murthy.

At the valedictory ceremony, Principal, Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Jan Kanth felicitated the resource persons and appreciated the journalism department for smooth conduct of the event. She also briefed the guests about the efforts of the college administration to uphold the rich legacy of the institution while constantly striving to improve its academic profile with key research and skill development initiatives.

On the successful culmination of the event, Ms. Murthy said, “We loved interacting with the students. They are full of talent, passion and optimism. We are so happy with the overall conduct of the event. We hope this is the start of a longer journey and collaboration with journalism department of the women’s college.”

While presenting Vote of Thanks, Head, Department of Journalism, Dr. Suhail Ahmad termed it a great learning experience.  He said the films screened as part of the fest celebrated the human spirit in the face of adversity.

Thanking the resource persons, he said, “The way they curated the overall event and particularly the workshop, it was quite engaging and thought provoking. We look forward to hold more such events on a bigger scale.”

Role of media in the fight against drug menace was highlighted at an event held at Govt. College for Women, M.A. Road, Srinagar on Monday (12 December 2022).

The event was organised by Department of Journalism and Mass Communication in collaboration with the NSS wing of the college as part of the ongoing ‘My College, My Pride’ initiative. Besides students, the event was attended by faculty members of the college.

Speaking on the occasion, Principal, Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Jan Kanth said conducting such events is the need of the hour as the drug abuse among youngsters has reached alarming level. She reiterated the college’s commitment towards making ‘Nasha Mukht Bharat’ (Drug Free India) campaign a success. Prof. Ruhi also stressed on the role of media and academic institutions in this respect.

NSS Programme Officer, Dr. Shabana Gulzar said drug addiction is destroying young lives and referred to the efforts of NSS wing of the college in spreading awareness among the students. The event was coordinated by HOD Journalism and Mass Communication, Dr. Suhail Ahmad and senior NSS Officer, Dr. Nuzhat Gul.

The main attraction of the event was the screening of multimedia news feature stories done by journalism students of the college for various local and international media outlets. These included ‘Kashmir leaves Punjab behind as drug abuse reaches 2.87%’ by Aleena Mir (2017 batch); ‘Confessions of a heroin addict’ by Amir Rafi and Masroor Ashraf (2019 batch), ‘Unending Drug Menace in Kashmir’ by Sualiha Zubair (2020 batch) and Irshad Fayaz (2019 batch).

Mir Yasir Mukhtar of 2018 batch shared his experience of working on in-depth and widely acclaimed multimedia stories titled ‘Inside a Booming Black Market for Heroin in the Shadow of the Himalayas’ which was published by international media outlet ‘Vice News’ and ‘Kashmir in drug net: Dark visitors of an abandoned house’ published by local news portal ‘Free Press Kashmir’.

While offering a peep into the lives of the youth addicted to drugs, Yasir referred to the stigma that puts them at greater risk of societal isolation. He said the substance abusers are often looked down upon as hardened criminals in the society which makes their recovery even more difficult. Stating that substance abusers are subjected to systematic discrimination and stigma, Yasir called for more empathetic approach from the society.

Amir Rafi of 2019 batch shared the experience of working on a story wherein a young heroin addict shared chilling details about the drug mafia. Mehran Bhat (2020 batch) shared his experience of working on a piece titled ‘A Srinagar Teenager’s Journey From Drug Addiction to Sobriety’. Hashim Zakir (2021 batch) shared his experience of working closely with some of the substance abusers and how drug mafia has spread its tentacles in the society.

The programme proceedings were conducted by Sualiha Zubair and Nazakat Aslam while Maleeha Sofi presented formal Vote of Thanks. She also shared her views on the sensitive subject.

Students of the outgoing (2019) batch of Department of Journalism and Mass Communication shared their internship experiences during a session organized by the department at the college conference hall on June 11, 2022. Dean Social Sciences, Cluster University Srinagar, Dr. Mujahid Ahmad was the special invitee on the occasion while Prof. Parvez Majid Lone from media department of Amar Singh College evaluated the presentations for internal assessment component as subject expert.  In her address, Principal, Prof. (Dr.) Ruhi Jan Kanth said it was quite heartening to listen to the internship experiences of students. “It’s quite evident that students have really worked hard during their internship and earned valuable experience in the process. I am sure the junior batch will also be encouraged to follow the footsteps of their seniors when they start their internship in 6th semester,” Prof. Ruhi said. While appreciating the work of students, Dean Social Sciences, Cluster University Srinagar, Dr. Mujahid also lauded the efforts of HOD Journalism, Dr. Suhail Ahmad for maintaining good rapport with various media organizations  and ensuring that students are able to get hands-on training during their internship. Senior faculty members including HOD Zoology, Prof. Samina Yesvi, HOD Home Science, Dr. Shabeena Shawl, HOD English, Prof. Lubna Nehvi and Prof. Pinoo Andrabi were also present on the occasion.  They also appreciated the work of students during their media internship. While acknowledging the hard work done by students, Prof. Parvez gave his expert assessment about individual student presentations.