From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: With the air in the early hours as well as in after dusk has become nippy and dews drops on tree leaves start reflecting the early morning sun rays, the winter is knocking at Assam valley though it has already started giving the bite in hill areas of the region.
As winter sets in can those Tibetan refugees and Kashmiri woolen garments traders be far away from urban centres in Assam. Tibetan traders from places like Bhutan, Nepal have already pitched their make-shift stalls in various mart areas in Assam including Guwahati city to display their colourful woolen garments, jackets, shawls etc to attract buyers. Their stalls full of colourful winter dress materials add colour to the atmosphere in those bustling areas.
Kashmiri shawls and woolen garments are being too traded towns and cities of Assam valley by those traders from Kashmir who stand out in the crowd because of their sharp features and colour of the skin that is alien to North East.
Smiling Tapi from Nepal is one of hundreds of Tibetan traders who have erected shops in Guwahati city for the coming winter season. She said, “This year some traders have come a bit earlier though winter really sets in Guwahati from last week of November. It is to get proper place in the crowded city to set up shop for the season. If we come late there is hardly any good place left for doing business.”
She said last winter which was comparatively colder in recent years, the business was very good with people from all walks of life visiting their shops to buy woolen garments at ‘reasonable prices. She obviously prays from another biting winter this year too.
Another young Tibetan trader who has come along with his wife, informed that they bring woolen goods for sale from places like Nepal, Moreh in India-Myanmar border in Manipur, Kolkata and Delhi. They order the stock much ahead before the trading season starts.
Unlike Tibetan refugee traders, Kashmiri woolen garments, shawl merchants prefer to move around residential localities in urban centres of Assam in small group of two or three to ferry their products including much sought after Pashmina shawls and traditional Kashmiri shawls.
Most of these traders come during the winter from Baramulla and Srinagar and stay during the winter in various lodges in the city and other urban centres in Assam.
Some of these traders like 45-year Amir Lone have been visiting Assam to do business during the winter for last several years and they have faced no difficulty at all. Theirs have become familiar face in some of the localities in the city.
People complain about Kashmiri traders quoting very high prices for their items and are into the habit of making hard bargains with them.
However, Lone said,” High prices for good quality Kashmiri shawls, suits are because of sharp rise in cost f production back home in Kashmir. Anyway, we have to spend lot to maintain ourselves while doing business here during the winter and have to earn something good at the end of the season.”