GUWAHATI, June 17 � The Silk Mark Organisation of India (Silk Mark) has set up a silk purity testing laboratory at Sualkuchi Barsattra.
Sualkuchi is famous world over for its silk industry. The request for the laboratory was made by the Sualkuchi Tat Silpa Unnayan Samiti on September 16 last year with a view to saving the silk industry, particularly the mulberry silk part of the industry, from the threats posed by spurious and cheaper silk cloths imported by some unscrupulous traders.
The Sualkuchi artisans and businessmen engaged in the enterprise of silk cloth manufacture, had resorted to an agitational programme in March-April, 2013 to register their protest against the failure of the authorities concerned to protect their business from the spurious silk items manufactured in other states.
While the State government initiated a move to provide protection to the Sualkuchi artisans with Geographical Indication Registration rights of their designs among other things, the people of Sualkuchi formed the Unnayan Samiti on June 8, 2013.
In response to the request of the Unnayan Samiti, the Silk Mark Organisation of India informed on May 5 last that the silk testing laboratory requested by it had been approved. By this time, the laboratory has been installed and Silk Mark Organisation experts today started imparting training to the local people in using this facility. A batch of five local youths is undergoing training for five days. Silk Mark and Central Silk Board experts are imparting training on acid test, burn test, microscopic test etc.
Informing this, Unnayan Samiti general secretary Hiralal Kalita told this correspondent that with the laboratory to become functional from the first week of July, it is expected that the harm caused by the spurious silk items to the genuine Sualkuchi silk items would be prevented effectively.
Referring to the Silk Mark Organisation authorities, Kalita said the laboratory is the first of its kind in the entire NE region, which is run by a community organisation.
