Barbers from North give Hyderabad close shave'

Hyderabad: Muslim barbers from north India are flocking the city in search of greener pastures. Many new hair cutting salons run by young Muslims from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Delhi have come up in the older parts of the city.

The success stories of the pioneers who have made good money by either setting up their own salons or working at salons set up by the locals have served to attract more aspirants to the city.

In the past year, at least 100 hair cutting salons have opened up in Asifnagar, Golconda, Langer Houz, Misrigunj, Falaknuma, Dabeerpura, Hafeezbabanagar and Chandrayangutta.

Mr Junaid, a native of Old Delhi who has set up a hair cutting salon in the Bibi Ka Chasma area in Old City, says that local Muslims do not become barbers as they consider it to be a taboo. “In north India, there are several Muslims who are hajams (barbers). In some districts of Uttar Pradesh nearly 90 per cent of the hair salons are run by Muslims,” he says.

He explains that barbers from north India are setting up businesses especially in the Muslim-dominated, older parts of the city, because of the abundance of opportunity. “Here, shop and house rents are low, we can accumulate some savings,” he said. Mr Rachamalla Balakrishna, state president of the Nayee Brahmana Seva Sangham, said that around 3,500 hair-cutting salons run by locals have been shut down in the past couple of years due to the influx of barbers from north India. “We have approached leaders but to no avail,” he says.

Some local youth are seeing this as an opportunity to generate an income. They are setting up salons and employing barbers from north India, paying them between Rs 8,000 and Rs 10,000 a month.

“We have to spend is Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh on interior decoration. The salons are air-conditioned and offer a plush look with good seating arrangements. In a month, we can earn between Rs 25,000 and Rs 30,000,” said Mr Anwar Shareef who is in the process of setting up a salon in Moghalpura.