A weaver in Sualkuchi. Picture by Eastern Projections

Sualkuchi, April 19: The sobriquet “Manchester of the East” sits heavy on Assam’s silk bowl.

To the world outside, Sualkuchi is a cottage-industry success story, weaving gossamer dreams and generating about Rs 150 crore annually. But life is anything but smooth as silk here. For the vast majority of weavers, there is no escape route from the cocoon of neglect and exploitation.

This village of nearly 50,000 people, barely an hour’s drive from the state capital, has not had a proper road in a decade. Electricity plays truant for most part of the day and production of pat, one of the silks Assam is famous for, is still largely dependent on supply of yarn from Karnataka. Add to this a gaggle of middlemen who prey on the weavers and you have the complete picture.

Against this backdrop, it is easy to understand why Sualkuchi, which goes to the polls tomorrow, remains cold to the illusory warmth created by the National Democratic Alliance’s “India Shining” campaign. Rajani Kanta Das, 59, is a member of Sualkuchi’s leading handloom co-operative and one of the more cynical residents.

“How can we feel good when everything around us is bad? The infrastructure here is the same it was decades ago. We do not even get a regular supply of electricity. Sualkuchi, which we proudly call Manchester of the East, is nothing but a picture of neglect,” he says.

When Girija Boro, 50, works on her loom at night, a lantern is the only source of light. She strains her ageing eyes to make sure the intricate design she is working is not spoilt by one mistake.

“It is hard work as you can see,” she says, the despondency evident in every word.

There is no respite for her and thousands of others who have to work under the mahajans (contractors and money-lenders). “One set of mahajans owns a large number of looms and gives employment to us, while another lends us money to run our businesses. Whichever the case, we do not have any control,” Girija says.

Thousands from across the globe visit Sualkuchi every year to watch the weavers make magic with the golden thread, but there is still no tourist lodge here. It was declared a handloom heritage village under the Vision Assam 2025 document of the erstwhile AGP-led government.

Sualkuchi is the biggest village of Assam and produces over six million metres of white and golden silk, called pat and muga, every year. Pat comes from mulberry yarn.

Weavers still use antiquated traditional looms, which do not improve productivity. In any case, the nearly 17,000 weavers who work here everyday do not get much for their efforts. “Middlemen pocket most of the profits and the government does not intervene,” says Prakash Baishya of Jayashree Handloom Store.