Shimmering Ropes
Jute of Assam
When India was partitioned in 1947, eighty percent of the jute cultivation and production went to erstwhile East Pakistan, now Bangladesh, creating a new reality for the jute economy in India. Once a part of the same country today India and Bangladesh are tough competitors in the production of jute – a fiber that is becoming increasingly popular in the market of sustainable fabrics. In 2019, as a part of the documentation of some of the success stories in the MSME sector by UNDP North East, I was assigned to document the agro, handloom, handicraft and jute sectors. Thus began my journey of exploring the lesser-known jute industry of Assam – the products of which are coveted across the world. Continue Reading