Want a haircut? Ask in Hindi, please

KOZHIKODE: Migrant workers are not only constructing buildings, but also ‘shaping’ the heads of Malayalis in the state. The majority of barber shops now employ  migrants as the children of  traditional  Keralite barbers have abandoned the profession due to the taboo attached to it. So Malayalam too has mostly ceased to be the language  of communication in most barber shops.

“Main mera hair aisa cut karna chahtah hoom…hei..ho,”  a comical dialogue making fun of a Malayali’s inability to communicate in Hindi in the Malayalam blockbuster ‘Gandhi Nagar 2nd Street’ can now be heard in any barber shop in the state. It has become nearly impossible for a Malayali to get a hairdo as per his wish, if he cannot speak  Hindi.  He cannot  even register his protest in Malayalam.

The Malayali youths  have moved on to other jobs leaving their fathers to run their shops  employing migrants. “I am a Muslim and even when I seek a marriage proposal for my daughter or son, the  question I face is whether I can’t find a bride or groom from my field.  Islam does not have caste system and if this is the situation in Islam, you can imagine the problems faced by a Hindu barber,” M. Ummer, state secretary of Kerala State Barber and Beauticians Association (KSBBA), told Deccan Chronicle.

He said people who have been engaged in the profession have been considered ‘low class’ and were looked down by  society. “The youths in our community find it insulting. Due to the intervention of our association, the lifestyle of our members and their families has  transformed to a great extent. The children of our members get  good education and they are not ready to continue in the profession.  Even if our children are doctors or engineers, they find it difficult to get a bride or groom from respectable families,” Ummer said.

When Malayalis are moving away from this profession, workers from other states take up the  job. Even high-end beauty salon chains like Naturals have more other- state employees. “We at present have a membership  of above 26,000. We give membership to everyone who is engaged in the profession. This year we are planning to add 2,000 more members  and  people from all states are included,” Ummer added.