‘Nitish’s Betrayal’: Muzaffarpur Traders Fear Return of Jungle Raj

Muzaffarpur’s traders fear the return of Jungle Raj due to the alliance Nitish Kumar formed with Lalu Prasad Yadav.

The busy and chaotic Sutapatti market. (Photo: The Quint)

Less than five months ago, the central government shortlisted Muzaffarpur as one of the 100 Smart Cities to be built in India. A Smart City, by definition, “should provide better quality of life, generate employment for its residents and attract investments.”

About 90 km north-east of Patna, there is already a well paved four-lane highway leading up to the city, north of the River Ganga. As you enter, turning the city into a ‘smart’ one seems like a potential nightmare. Narrow lanes, chaotic traffic, and old and failing infrastructure make the city a challenge to negotiate.

Case in point—getting to Sutapatti market, one of the most popular commercial hubs in Muzaffarpur. Reaching there required us to get out of our vehicle and hitch a ride on a motorcycle.

Muzaffarpur’s Economic Hub

Sutappati’s businessmen claim it is Asia’s largest cloth market. “There is not a cloth manufactured anywhere in South Asia that you cannot find here,” says Motilal Chhapria, leader of a traders’ association.

Motilal Chhapria, leader of a trader’s association shares more about this market. (Photo: The Quint)

<p>Suttapatti market is the largest cloth market in Asia. There are retailers from Gorakhpur (in UP) to Siliguri (in West Bengal) and even in Kathmandu (Nepal). We sell cloth worth almost Rs 2000 crore a year. There are 60-70,000 people who rely on this market for their economic sustenance.</p>

<p>Motilal Chhapria, Leader, traders’ association.</p>

The market stretches along a narrow road that the traders, mostly Marwaris, take credit for, and claim has never been damaged in the past 35 years since they got it commissioned. Trying to figure the size of the market is a daunting task – we gave up after crossing nearly a hundred odd shops selling similar assortments of clothing material.

‘Nitish’s Betrayal’

Given the politically charged atmosphere in Bihar, it did not take long for the conversation to turn to their main concern in the state assembly elections.

Most would clam up if we requested their reactions on camera, preferring to play it safe in case a party they speak up against wins the election. However, some chose to speak up.

Bindeshwar, another trader who works at Sutapatti Market. (Photo: The Quint)

<p>Nitish babu has betrayed us. We voted for him and now he is bringing back the Jungle Raj. Nitish is a good leader but this alliance (with Lalu) is a betrayal.<br></p>

<p> Bindeshwar, Worker, Sutapatti Market.</p>

Another trader, Manoj, winced when we asked him how things were back in the 90s.

Manoj, a trader in the market. (Photo: The Quint)

<p>Because of his ego, Nitish is taking Bihar back to the dreadful Jungle Raj we witnessed 15 years ago. There is immense fear amongst the traders again. Now we shut our shops by 5pm and return home. People at home are worried if we will at all return.</p>

<p> Manoj, Trader, Sutapatti Market.</p>

One gets a sense of impending gloom when these traders speak of the possible outcome of a Mahagatbandhan win.

Catch-22

Those who chose to speak on and off camera gave us a sense of a catch-22 situation the traders were in.

(Photo: PTI)

They agree unanimously that Nitish Kumar was the best Chief Minister Bihar ever had. His ‘unholy alliance’ with Lalu, as they put it, has put them in a fix. Most claim they would have voted for JDU had Nitish contested the elections alone.

Staunch BJP supporters among the traders are more than willing to vote for the BJP on 1 November, when 11 seats in Muzaffarpur constituency go to polls. But they aren’t happy with the local candidate. The candidate, they complain, does no work and is hardly ever around to be accountable. Voting for PM Modi would mean electing a candidate they aren’t confident with.

For full coverage of Bihar Polls 2015, click here.