With few barbers left, getting a haircut an ordeal in Valley

M Aamir Khan

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, September 15

Tawseef Ahmad, a resident of Qamarwari, considers himself lucky to have got his turn at a barber’s shop in the neighbourhood after a wait of three hours.

On several other occasions he was forced to return home without a haircut due to massive rush at the barber’s shop over the past month-and-a-half.

Even as the non-locals had almost taken over the barber shops of late, getting a haircut has turned into a nightmare for many these days. When the government had asked Amarnath yatris and tourists to leave Kashmir on August 2 days before revoking Article 370, several non-locals working here, including barbers, too, left the Valley in panic.

The situation has become all the more problematic given that the barber shops remain open for only a few hours as normal life continues to remain disrupted since August 5.

“Non-local barbers had taken over the hair-cutting business here. When they started mushrooming here around 15-20 years ago, they brought with them new hairstyles and other hitherto service for men. Now, many locals do not take to this field. The local ones that are left, continue to have just basic services and have not been able to keep up with the latest trends,” said Tawseef.

“We have a barber in our locality and I waited for almost three hours in the morning to get a haircut. Prior to this, I was unable to get a turn and had to return home on several occasions. Getting a haircut or a shave is a nightmare these days,” he said.

A non-local barber, who has a shop in uptown Rawalpora, said operating in the present situation was very tough.

“Most of the non-local barbers especially those operating in downtown and sensitive places have left. I decided to stay because many locals told me not to leave and I felt somewhat secure. However, I only keep my shop open for a few hours in the morning,” he said. “There are a lot of customers. It is very difficult to manage the rush in a few hours. On top of that, there is uncertainty. It will be difficult to operate if the present uncertain conditions persist.”