COVID-19 pandemic: Sualkuchi weaver sold 1,70,000 Natural dyed Eri silk facemasks during lockdown to start construction of his dream museum to showcase Assam’s centuries old silk weaving practices

Hiralal Kalita, a master weaver in Assam’s silk town-Sualkuchi, is happy that his dream of setting up a museum for showcasing the centuries old rich tradition of silk weaving practices is taking shape. He sold 1,70,000 facemasks made of Eri silk during the nationwide lockdown. Kalita earned a substantial profit from about Rs. 3.4 crore business of selling these facemasks which has helped him to take up the construction work. The civil construction of the three-storied building that will house the museum on the third floor is almost complete.

When COVID-19 Pandemic pushed all section of people around the world to endless difficulties it also made hundreds of families engaged in traditional handloom and textile sector in Assam jobless during the lockdown. In Assam, Sualkuchi was the worst-hit, as almost all the families of the silk town survive on weaving practice.

Hiralal Kalita, a nationally recognized master weaver for handloom design and natural dye, however, has a different story to tell. Engaged in Muga fabric export business, Kalita was at a loss initially as he had to close down both his export and domestic business due to lockdown. Then, he suddenly decided to make Eri silk facemasks using natural dye.

He never imagined that the demand for facemask made of Eri silk will be so huge. Apart from the local demand in the state, these masks generated huge demand in Nepal and Bhutan. Each mask was sold at Rs 220 and the profit margin per mask was Rs.20, says Kalita.

“Lockdown has been the most exciting journey in my life so far. Initially, I was at loss and could not think what to do. Hopelessness gripped all the weaver’s families in Sualkuchi. The showrooms were closed down. Strict restriction on movements of people was imposed to check Covid-19 pandemic. I never dreamt of such a situation in my life. I have the responsibilities of families of 21 weavers, who work in my weaving industry. Then, in one of many sleepless nights, the idea of making masks of Eri silk fabric suddenly came to my mind. I shared it with my wife Sangeeta and she instantly said that I should give a try. That was the turning point, where success was waiting for me. Demand for these silk masks was such that we had to work overtime to meet the demands” Kalita tells nezine.com.

Kalita has 11 looms to produce mulberry silk, six looms to produce Muga silk and four looms to produce Eri silk fabric. Till lockdown he used to export 45 meters of Muga fabric every month and 100 pieces of Muga umbrella every after three months to Japan, for which he earned 20 per cent extra money in comparison to the domestic market.

Sangeeta advised him to start the initiative with making of silk mask on Muga fabric. He, however, made a wise decision of making it on Eri silk fabric, as cost of Muga fabric is quite high.

“Eri silk is low cost, and so the price per mask was also relatively low, which made it easier for us to reach out to numerous customers. It is soft and durable. The richness of colour after applying natural dye with various products of mother nature, made these masks more attractive for customers”, he says.

Thus, when the traditional silk hub was facing endless crisis, Kalita and his weavers barely found leisure time to think about it. Long back, the expert weaver had started experimentation on his own efforts by products diversification on his looms. The approach also helped him during lockdown period to become innovative and overcome the crisis in unique ways, says a confident Kalita.

While human movement was strictly restricted during lockdown period, Kalita could move freely without encountering any humiliating situation from police, as he used to carry masks-- an essential product to fight Covid-19. He personally carried these products to border areas of Bhutan to deliver to traders.

In fact, going for Eri silk some years back in a silk hub traditionally known for Mulberry silk and Muga silk only, itself was a part of another experimentation. Eri silk is relatively warm and people normally use this fabric only for warm clothes. Kalita, however, put a lot of efforts to make this low- cost local silk an all-weather product. Now he produces wide-ranging products including the bridal dresses, dresses for grooms, Sarees, etc. on Eri silk, which have huge demand in and outside the state.

“Over 99 per cent of the Mulberry silk thread that weavers in Assam use is directly brought from outside markets of Bangaluru. Only a small quantity of mulberry Silk is produced locally. So hardly we can say that mulberry is Assam silk. The cost of Muga is extremely high and common people usually cannot afford it. This made me to go for experimentation of Eri silk some years back, so that people can enjoy the happiness of wearing garments produced with home grown silk at a relatively low cost” he says.

The same was also proven to be true in case of producing masks on Eri silk.

A large number of nearly 6,500 looms in Sualkuchi are non-productive. There is a scarcity of weavers too, who mostly come from outside the silk town. Kalita says there was a time when each household had an expert weaver, but the present generation has almost abandoned the practice as it is non remunerative.

To fight this stagnation, while specializing on handloom design and natural dye, Kalita is now also putting his efforts for upgradation of the handlooms. The only way to sustain is to make these thousands of looms in this silk hub productive, he considers. A successful entrepreneur, this master weaver who dares to fight all the odds, is now planning to open the museum within this year.

Ratna Bharali Talukdar