Ahimsa Peace Silk: By Maneka Gandhi

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Link: http://www.abolitionist-online.com/article-

issue02_ahimsa.peace.silk.shtml

 

Ahimsa Peace Silk

By Maneka Gandhi

 

A Special Message from Maneka Gandhi for Abolitionist-Online readers:

 

" It would be wonderful if you went to our website

www.ahimsapeacesilk.com and decided that all the presents you were

going to give for the rest of your life were going to be these

wonderful shawls, stoles or material that could be used for

bedcovers, cushions or even wearing material! All the money we make

from this goes to the 26 hospitals/rescue centres that People for

Animals runs in India.

 

- Best Wishes, Maneka Gandhi "

 

 

Ahimsa Peace Silk: The Full Story

The traditional process of silk production requires the killing of

hundreds of thousands of silk moths. The larvae are boiled alive,

roasted or centrifuged. The female moths are slit open to check for

diseases after they have laid the eggs for the next generation. Most

consumers are not aware of the cruelty involved in the process of

production.

 

Silk can also be made in a non-violent, eco-friendly and sustainable

way.

 

Ahimsa Peace Silk does away with brutal practices in the silk

production without compromising on the quality of the silk and the

productivity of operations. Unlike the conventional method where the

pupae are killed before reeling yarn from the cocoons, in the process

of Ahimsa Peace Silk production the adult moths are allowed to emerge

alive from the cocoons and then the silk yarn is spun from the open

ended or pierced cocoons found in the wild or from those used in

breeding cycles.

 

The silk moths best suited for the production of ahimsa silk are the

Eri Silk Moth ( Philosamia ricini). These feed on the castor plant in

contrast to the conventional mulberry feeding silk moth. Other

species that are being used for Ahimsa Peace Silk are the Tassar

moths (both tropical and temperate- Antheraea mylitta and Antheraea

proylei) and the Muga Silk Moth ( Antheraea assamensis). These are

wild and semin wild silks.

 

By commercialising Ahimsa Peace Silk we help maintain and restore the

Oak tree cover in the denuded areas of Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal

and Madhya Pradesh and Manipur by linking the livelihood of the

tribals in these areas to the existence of these trees also giving

employment to those tribals.

 

Therefore, all consumers who care for the environment and respect the

right of life for all the living beings can wear this product with a

clear conscience and enjoy the soft and luxurious feel of spun silk.

 

About the Project:

Ahimsa Peace Silk has been developed by the largest NGO in the

country, People for Animals. Its Chairperson is the world-renowned

environmentalist and animal activist/ spokesperson Mrs Maneka Gandhi.

This NGO runs animal hospitals and ambulances, takes care of animal

management with government bodies and does a lot of legal and

educational work for animals

 

In the Ahimsa Peace Silk division of People for Animals, a large

number of tribal weaver groups in Assam, Gujarat, Nagaland, Himachal

Pradesh and Uttaranchal have been trained for the production of this

kind of silk fabric. Reputed designers and professionals working in

this field have provided the groups with the latest design inputs.

 

This constant interactive process between the weavers and designers

has resulted in the production of a wide range of Ahimsa silk

products like shawls stoles, yardage, garments etc. Traditional

designs have been revived and adapted to current trends to cater to

this new market. Production lines have been systemised to give a

continuous flow of such silk. The first large order came from Khadi

and Village Industries Corporation which is the largest retailer in

the country.

 

Range and Nature of products to be developed:

Shawls, stoles, scarves, ties, saris, made-ups, furnishing fabrics,

knitwear, `modern' traditional Indian items, casual wear, dress

materials, apparel fabrics, rugs and other diversified products will

be a part of the huge range of products produced in this project.

 

The items are in pure ahimsa silk fibre or blends. Dyes used will be

natural dyes as well as chemical (azo dyes banned by importing

countries are not being used).

 

The product has been tested in the laboratories for its durability,

content and colour fastness. On all the three counts, the product

characteristics have been found to be more than satisfactory.

 

Ahimsa Peace Silk creates unique products that appeal to the demand

of environmentally conscious and non violent clientele all over the

world. It provides an alternative for discerning and aware consumers

to make their choices in such a way that even as they buy silk they

are able to accord the respect that our fellow living beings on the

earth deserve from us. Previously this option did not exist – now it

does.