AMINGAON, Oct 12: With the passing of time, the non-violent or Ahimsa eri silk of Assam is gaining popularity in some of the advanced countries across the globe. This indigenous fabric with pale look has captivated designers in countries like the USA, France and Japan, among others.
Informing this, Narmohan Das, a leading entrepreneur of eri silk, said: “The unique pale look of this hand-woven product captivates some of the leading designers across the globe. Among them, a French designer, who, after having firsthand experience in rearing, processing (cake making), yearning and weaving in Assam, bought 60-meter fabric sans dye from me in 2018.”
She tested the products for several times in France to ensure the quality of the purchased products.
“After 11 days, she contacted me saying that each material in the crafted fabric is perfect for human use,” Das said, quoting the foreign designer.
“She visited my house after making 12 Western dress items prepared from my products and wanted another 35,000-meter fabric, a volume that I could not supply,” Das said.
The rearing process of this fabric is time consuming unlike the common eri fabric.
“The products they make in France using this fabric include shawls, table runners, scarves, woman dress items, shirts, etc,” Das informed.
Aswini Kalita, assistant director of Sericulture, Kamrup, said that this particular eri silk has huge export potential.
Buddhist majority countries and markets with a strong interest in ethical and sustainable textiles could offer huge opportunities for Assam eri silk, marketed as ‘Ahimsa silk’ or ‘Peace silk’.
Notably, eri silk has a particular association with non-violent silk production, as the silkworm can be allowed to complete its natural lifecycle before the cocoon is processed. This characteristic provides a strong ethical proposition for markets where compassion towards living beings and non-violence are culturally significant.
“The key selling proposition of Assam eri can be built around the combination of Ahimsa, Assam origin, handloom, sustainability and ethical production, with particular relevance to Buddhist communities and consumers seeking cruelty-free textile products,” Kalita said.
However, Kalita made it clear that not every eri silk product should automatically be described or certified as ‘Ahimsa silk’. In commercial cocoon production, the pupa is forcefully expelled for edible purposes, hence cruelty involves. A clearly defined production protocol and traceability mechanism would be necessary to substantiate a 100% Ahimsa claim.
The emerging global interest in ethical, cruelty-free and sustainable textiles, together with the cultural affinity of Buddhist societies towards non-violence, create a potentially significant opportunity for Assam’s eri sector in the global market.
With appropriate segregation, processing, certification, branding and market development, Assam could explore positioning Ahimsa eri silk as a premium ethical textile originating from the traditional sericulture heritage of Assam. This could create an additional revenue stream from grainage cocoons, increase value realisation for the eri sector, and open new domestic and international markets, Aswini Kalita added.