From loom to global market: A call for a textile revolution in the Northeast

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma’s observation underscoring the need to tap the Northeast’s immense potential in the handloom sector is worth acting upon by all the governments of the region. The handloom sector, a traditional occupation with thousands of families in the region, still engages a vast segment of the population.

In fact, nearly 60 percent of the country’s handloom workers hail from the Northeast, and this provides an ideal launchpad for the region to become a leader in India’s textile industry. Efforts from State governments apart, Central agencies, including the High Level Task Force on Handloom and Handicraft formed by the Union Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), too, have to play a proactive role in this regard.

Notwithstanding the potential, the region is yet to reap the dividends accruing from it. This will require governments and policymakers to chalk out strategies for revitalising the traditional textile sector. What we need is a structured and result-driven approach with due emphasis on addressing the constraints of artisans who are in urgent need of training, technological interventions, value addition, and market linkage.

Given that boosting the region’s handloom sector can serve a common purpose, enhanced inter-State cooperation for knowledge-sharing and networking, standardisation of product quality, branding and marketing, and promotion of design innovation and modern skill development are highly imperative.

With sustained promotion by governments by way of proper coordination and investment, the northeastern States can transform themselves into a global textile hub. A cluster-based approach tailored to each State’s unique strengths and capacities can be the ideal way forward. In Assam too, sericulture and handloom have been an enduring tradition, as testified to by the popularity of traditional Assamese fabrics such as muga, paat and eri.

Yet, this indigenous industry continues to grapple with debilitating concerns, preventing a ‘sericulture boom’ in the State. One reason could be that the kind of patronage enjoyed by the handloom industry during the days of the medieval monarchs has waned today. This is despite the fact that we have a Handloom and Sericulture Department with a mandate to address the problems faced by the weaving sector. Boosting production and introducing new designs and value addition is a must for promoting and sustaining the industry.

For this, the government’s role apart, we need concerted action by all the stakeholders in the industry. The reputation of muga, the famed golden yarn of Assam, has been tarnished by the invasion of cheap Chinese tassar and mulberry silk produced in Uttar Pradesh, with unscrupulous traders passing the cheap imitation fabric as original muga.

Shortage of indigenous muga yarn is also said to be complicating matters for the industry. Another major challenge for the State’s silk industry has been the gradual erosion of the supply base of trained artisans.