Eri silk, not Muga alone, defines Assam’s future: Padma Shri awardee Jogesh Deuri

Renowned sericulturist Jogesh Deuri, on January 25, said his selection for the Padma Shri was a recognition not just of individual work, but of Assam and the northeast’s distinctive Eri silk tradition.

While Assam is widely known for Muga silk, Deuri said Eri holds far greater promise for the future. “Assam is famous for its Muga silk, but it is Eri that has immense potential and is the future,” he said, underlining the fibre’s relevance to livelihoods and sustainable industry in the region.

Calling Eri silk integral to local culture, Deuri said, “Eri is inextricably linked to our tradition and identity. I want to take Eri to the global platform.” A retired official of the state sericulture department, he thanked the Union government for the Padma Shri and recalled that the Assam government had earlier honoured him with the Assam Gaurav award in 2022.

Deuri is credited with establishing the Bodoland Silk Park at Kokrajhar, a facility that brings together a cocoon bank, spun mill, printing unit and pupae processing unit. The park offers a complete view of the silk-making process and is aimed at strengthening value addition within the state.

He said current efforts are focused on modernisation and mechanisation to make the sector attractive for younger generations. “I have initiated several innovative steps to take the industry, which is now small scale, to a large-scale one, as there are immense possibilities for the youth to take up production,” he said.

During his tenure as Director of Sericulture at the Bodoland Territorial Council, Deuri had launched the observance of Eri Day on May 1 in 2019. He said there are now plans for an Eri and Muga festival under the theme ‘silk to tourism’, even after his retirement.

Summing up his vision, Deuri said, “Eri is our future, Muga is our hope and Mulberry is our scope,” calling for collective efforts to take Assam’s traditional silks to international markets.

Deuri is among five Padma Shri awardees from Assam this year. The others include former Union minister Kabindra Purkayastha (posthumously) for public affairs, and Pokhila Lekhtepi, Nuruddin Ahmed and Haricharan Saikia for their contributions to art.