Paat in Crisis

The traditional silk industry of Assam is facing a new threat: production of paat silk yarn within the state has been on the decline. And given the demand for silk fabrics, weavers have been compelled to cut down production, which in turn has led to the import of paat silk products manufactured in mills outside the region. As reported by this newspaper on Saturday, this means an impending threat to the very economy of Sualkuchi, India’s biggest silk village, one that earns several crores of rupees for Assam every year. According to reports, Assam currently produces only about four percent of the state’s total demand for paat or mulberry silk. While the state’s annual production of paat yarn currently stands at 13,000 kg, the demand is at present around 3,00,000 kg. Thus there is a huge gap in production, which amounts to 96%, and this is being currently met through the import of yarn from two states—West Bengal and Karnataka. The yarn in those two states is sourced by both government agencies as well as private operators. This also speaks volumes about lesser and lesser people in Assam taking to silkworm rearing, an age-old traditional practice that had once upon a time provided livelihood to several thousand families. Though it is a matter of deep research to ascertain the exact reasons behind the increasing fall in domestic production of paat silk yarn, it is also for the government to look seriously into the matter and do the needful.