Wool, Kala Cotton, and Eri Silk as Acts of Ecological Resistance: A Critical Inquiry into Sustainable Practices in Indian Textile Traditions

Abstract

This paper weaves together the stories of three textile systems rooted in indigenous fibres—Kala cotton from Gujarat, desi sheep wool from Himachal Pradesh, and Eri silk from Assam—to explore how traditional practices carry ecological knowledge and cultural memory. Each fibre is deeply embedded in its landscape, shaped by the rhythms of local ecosystems and sustained through intergenerational care.

Kala cotton, cultivated without irrigation or chemical inputs, is being revived by small land holding farmers in Kachchh as a form of climate-resilient and decolonial design. In Himachal Pradesh, wool practices linked to Gaddi pastoralism reflect how seasonal migration and domestic weaving nurture livelihoods and cultural identity. In Assam, Eri silk—reared and woven by Rabha women—is produced in harmony with forest systems, offering a model of ethical and feminist labour.

These stories are not about nostalgia or preservation, but about sustaining slow, rooted practices in a fast-moving world. They remind us that textiles are not just material objects—they are acts of care, memory, and quiet resistance. In an era of ecological crisis, these practices invite us to imagine futures built on joy, kinship, and reciprocity with the land.