Eri silk spinners and weavers on the brink of losing livelihood

From a Correspondent

BOKO, Jan 17: Around 44,000 spinners and weavers earn their livelihood by spinning and weaving Eri silk in South Kamrup along the Assam-Meghalaya border under Eri Fed. Though this season, demonetization has affected the industry drastically with production reducing to around 70 per cent-75 per cent, Eri Fed has tried its best to sell Eri products to maintain the production line.

For tthis, Eri Fed participated in various exhibitions to attract foreign buyers. Eri Fed also also participated at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru (Kartaka) recently in Assam Industrial Development Corporation pavilion. This pavilion, and especially Assam silk and organic tea, attracted most of the visitors and due to this, NRI businessmen showed interest to invest in production of silk.

“But to our surprise, government marketing agencies like AGNC (Assam Government Marketing Corporation) and NEHDC (North East Hills Development Corporation) are selling duplicate Eri clothes, especially shawl and jackets, made by Bihari yarn (local me), which is of very poor quality, and Tasar Saree through their outlet in the pavilion. While cost of this duplicate Eri shawl and jacket is hardly Rs 650- Rs 700, production cost of authentic Eri shawl and jacket is 3-4 times higher. Eri silk is strong, durable, warm and comfortable, as well as eco-friendly. On the other hand, Bihari yarn in recycled, not durable and warm, non-silk and non-organic. This Bihari yarn is a threat to Eri spinners and weavers and the Eri cottage industry as a whole. Also, around 1 lakh families will lose their income source,” said Chandan Keshab, secretary of Eri Fed.

On other hand, Manika Buragohain Baruah, president of Eri Fed, who also present in Bengaluru on the occasion of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, said, “We discussed the matter with Pradip Kr. Talukdar, maging director of AGMC and also director of the Department of Handloom and Textile and he said that the procurement staff was probably selling the duplicate Eri items.”

Pulak Ligira, main coorditor of Majangkari project, said that a large number of women were involved in this cottage industry, most of them from the Garo community of Assam and few from Meghalaya (Umden, Umkon, Umteng and many other villages), all of whom belonged to BPL families. “They will lose their market and ultimately they have to depend on forest resources again. The government should take up the matter seriously and the case should be handed over to the CBI,” Ligira said.