Prof (Dr) Sukamal Deb

At the sidelines of a hectic schedule in my recent visit to Ahmedabad, I visited the Art Gallery, Ahmedabad, on 12th Dec 2025, especially on the invitation of Ms Avani Varia. My one objective was to speak with her on the languishing crafts of the North East Region, India and brainstorm an idea on how many of our extinct crafts or the crafts on the verge of extinction can be documented, preserved and revived.

In this trip to Ahmedabad, I also met Ms Reena Mittal. I had long discussions with both of them on the crafts, culture, tradition and the richness of this Region. When we are on an ambitious plan of 30 days to start the North East Integration Rally, 2026 (NEIR,2026), from Jan 4, 2026, I keep myself mostly occupied in my leisure time (which is truly very short these days!!) to understand, appreciate and embrace the beauty of the Region.

Avani Varia, one of the 50 most influential women from Ahmedabad, is dedicated to preserving and promoting India’s rich cultural heritage, including indigenous textiles, non-textile crafts, traditional arts and ancestral knowledge. She admires the rich heritage of arts and crafts in India.

Varia, an eternal nomad, as she classifies herself, is inspired to work on international projects that represent India to the world via arts, design and culture. Born in Varia, a traditional potter community in Gujarat, she gets a sense of aesthetics and love for art and crafts.

We spent hours speaking on the crafts of her and those of the North East Region, until she alerted me that my flight time was approaching. I was to fly at 11.15 p.m., bound for New Delhi from Terminal 1, the ticket that I booked, paying an exorbitant price.

We sat at an old-fashioned coffeehouse inthe Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, a school for performing arts in Ahmedabad, established by Mrinalini Sarabhai and Vikram Sarabhai in 1949. Mrinalini (1918 – 2016) was an Indian classical dancer, choreographer and instructor.

She was the founder and director of the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts, an institute for imparting training in dance, drama, music and puppetry. She received Padma Bhushan in 1992 and Padma Shri in 1965.

She was educated at Shantiniketan under the guidance of Rabindranath Tagore, where she realised her true calling. Mrinalini was married to Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai (1919 – 1971), who was an Indian physicist and astronomer who initiated space research and helped to develop nuclear power in India.

Often regarded as the “Father of the Indian space program, Sarabhai was honoured with Padma Bhushan in 1966 and the Padma Vibhushan (posthumously) in 1972.

Sitting at a fabulous place, Darpana, discussing on the richness of the North East was a magical experience for me. I met Ms Reena Mittal, a Freelance Journalist, at Anant National University,

Ahmedabad, at the sidelines of a craft workshop on Dec10, 2025. This meeting was long overdue, as we had been planning to discuss the slow textiles (the hand-spun, handwoven textiles)of the North East, in particular, and of our nation in general.

With her long association of working on sustainable textiles, for nearly 4 decades, Reena Mittal is Founder & CEO, Slow Textiles, Managing Editor, Textile Excellence, India Correspondent, International Newspaper Ltd, India Correspondent, Emerging Textiles, Chief Operating Officer, Federation of All India Textile Manufacturers Association and Chief Reporter, Indian Express Business Publication Division.

We immersed ourselves in discussing the innovative ideas in the revival and documentation of languishing crafts practised by the marginalised communities. We both write on Slow Textiles andTextile Excellence.

Both meetings with two dedicated personalities in the craft world drew repeated references to the NEIR, 2026, as this event is our humble yet ambitious mission to sensitise the nation, maybe the world, that the beauty and vividity of the NER is unparalleled.

I always advocate that one sees the North East more with the heart than with the eyes. Her beauty, her tradition, and her people will mesmerise you. My love for her knows no bounds.

When we discuss sustainable fashion and textile products, cotton often takes centre stage.

But the world of natural fibres is far richer, more diverse, and deeply connected to the local ecosystem and traditions. This is a case of the NER; we give the world all varieties of silks.

At the NEIR,2026, we celebrate not only the materials themselves, but the farmers, producers and artisans who steward these fibres with care. A truly sustainable textile future is built on respect and responsibility for our natural resources. This is one of our prominent messages of NEIR, 2026.

Our like-minded approach speaks about how we can empower our artisans who are committed to a sustainable future.

They focus on the future of our communities and planet, bringing a real, measurable impact. For the region where we live, the North East, this occupies a special relevance, as in almost every house of ours, the women practice sustainable crafts, the slow textiles, a narrative of our identity.

We are yet to recognise them, but they are our climate activists, who promote the concept of the circular economy. In that sense, the North East Integration Rally, 2026 has a special importance, as it seriously thinks in that wavelength.

Promotional | North East Integration Rally