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.