Former union minister Smriti Zubeen Irani has said that she was “deeply moved” when she received an eri silk shawl from Chungtia village in Mokokchung district, Nagaland. She added that it was a “humbling moment” carry the shawl.

In video posted on her social media handles, Irani said that the gift not only surprised her but brought back many memories. She recalled how in 2019, as the Union Minister of Textile, she launched the Eri Silk Development for Women Empowerment (ESDWE) project in Chungtia village.

“500 families came together, their desire was to weave the ‘peace silk’ of the Northeast into beautiful garments,” she said. Irani mentioned that she had received the eri silk shawl from a IAS officer from Chungtia and expressed gratitude to the village for remembering her in their journey. The former union minister also congratulated the village and extended her best wishes.

𝐀 𝐆𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞!

In 2019, as Union Minister of Textiles, I launched the transformative Eri Silk Development for Women Empowerment (ESDWE) project in Chungtia village, Nagaland.

This initiative,… pic.twitter.com/JvJQkk4YYw

— Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) December 8, 2024