Glitter to gloom on the brass lanes as export orders dry up ahead of Diwali

Strap: In the aftermath of the US tariff, a ground report from Moradabad brings out the new realities of Peetal Nagri

In a dimly-lit room on a Moradabad brass lane, Pirzada Zafar Khan, 62, has spent long years making diyas that have brightened many Diwalis. Seven other workers jostle for space in that 10X13 sq ft room, their tools  scattered on the floor. The orders are getting cancelled and the raw material is just lying around, says a worried Khan. ‘’This was supposed to be our earning season, but the exporters aren’t lifting the goods,” he points out in his local dialect.

 

Indeed, it was supposed to be their busiest time of the year, ahead of festivals. But Md. Noman Mansuri,