Police, District Administration yet to give permission, passes

Mysore/Mysuru: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently shared a meme on quarantine which says barbers should be included in essential services unless the society wants more bearded men like him. Omar said the Government must include barbers in essential services so that men are not forced to grow long beard like him when he was in detention. 

Except for doctors, maybe no one comes as physically close to their clients as hairdressers and barbers. They literally get in your space. Now amid the Coronavirus pandemic, how can barbers and hairdressers abide by social distancing? 

Since the outbreak and lockdown, many of city barbers, personal groomers and hairdressers have lost their regular customers, leaving them and their staff worried about how they will make a living. In an attempt to tide over the crisis, neighbourhood hairdressers and traditional barbers in Mysuru have sought ‘pass’ from the District Administration and the Police to offer home service to keep their business afloat. There are over 1,200 hairdressing salons in city and each outlet employs an average of two to three persons. 

A group of barbers have come together to offer home service (which is subject to Police clearance) and they have said that they will charge no extra cost. Barbers and hairdressers have put up a requisition with MLA S.A. Ramdas and the District Administration. 

The names and phone numbers of 10 barbers who are willing to do home service in areas including K.R. Mohalla, Hebbal, T.K. Layout, Vidyaranyapuram, J.P. Nagar, Netaji Nagar, Giridharshini Layout, Agrahara, Krishnamurthypuram and Arvindanagar is doing the rounds in social media under the banner “Doorstep Salon Service”. The social media post, however, has a rider as it says, “Please use the service only when it is absolutely necessary.”

The service, however, will have to be approved by the Police and the District Administration. The barbers who are willing to offer service have stated that they will take all precautionary measures like wearing a mask and ensuring hygiene while serving their customers. 

It remains to be seen whether the authorities will allow home service, considering hair cutting as essential service or will they red flag the move.