Muzaffarpur: Muzaffarpur’s century-old Sutapatti cloth market is facing an unprecedented crisis this festive season. The ongoing violence in Nepal has brought cross-border trade to a halt, leaving traders worried about massive losses. Every year, cloth worth about Rs 400 crore is sent from Sutapatti to Nepal, but this year business has almost completely stopped because the border is sealed.
The market, which is located on Maharaja Agrasen Marg, was established in 1915 with just 15 shops. Today, there are more than 750 cloth shops and hundreds of jewellery showrooms, making it the largest cloth market in North Bihar. Traders from Bihar, West Bengal and Nepal buy wholesale cloth from here, and Dussehra is the busiest time of the year. But this year, the lanes of Sutapatti are unusually quiet. Traders say booked orders have been cancelled and goods are stuck midway in transport.
Local businessmen are worried that losses may cross Rs 300 crore if the situation does not improve soon. Rishi Agarwal, a wholesale trader, said, “This is our main season. Due to the agitation, traders are not coming. Orders are cancelled, and buyers are missing.” Many traders said that their warehouses are full of unsold cloth and there is no hope of recovery once the festival season is over. Last year, business was worth Rs 400 crore, but this year sales might remain very low.
The impact is not limited to cloth traders. Islampur area, famous for its laathi (bamboo sticks) business, has also suffered. Every year, laathi worth Rs 100 to 150 crore is sold during Navratri to Nepalese buyers. This time, all orders are stuck. Riaz Ahmed, owner of Baba Laathi Bhandar, said, “Nepalese traders come throughout the year, but now no one is coming. Business is almost zero this season.”
The trouble began after the Nepal government banned social media earlier this month, which led to protests by the youth. The violence has claimed around 34 lives and curfew is still in place in many areas. Although the government has withdrawn the ban, the border remains closed, and movement of goods is restricted. Traders in Muzaffarpur are waiting anxiously for the situation to return to normal so that business can restart.
