In flood-ravaged Assam, BJP MLA Suruj Dehingia turned grooming into an unusual relief tool, mobilising 18 beauticians and 24 barbers to offer free haircuts, shaves and beauty care to nearly 1,000 villagers. Partnering with NGO Ami (WE), the team aimed to restore dignity, normality and mental strength for survivors still reeling from devastating losses and isolation.
While government agencies and humanitarian organisations were busy distributing food, drinking water, medicines and other essentials in India’s northeastern state of Assam last week, a member of the state’s legislative assembly with a group of barbers and beauticians chose to offer relief in a rather more unconventional way, with scissors, razors, combs and beauty kits.
Assam saw the worst flooding in six decades that started in late July this year, killing more than 100, affecting more than one million people, and leaving communities struggling to get back on their feet.
The administration is currently operating 125 relief camps and distribution centres across six districts, providing assistance to 49,061 people.
Against that backdrop, a week ago, 42 volunteers from nearby Moran, the only municipality in the constituency, travelled to Charaideo district under the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suruj Dehingia’s Mahmora constituency. The group comprised 18 beauticians and 24 barbers, who turned their everyday tools of trade into an unusual form of flood relief.
They, with the help of the non-governmental organization Ami (WE), offered almost 1,000 villagers free haircuts, shaves, eyebrow threading and beauty treatments, with transport and packed lunches provided for the volunteers.
For villagers still dealing with the aftermath of the floods, a haircut, a shave or a little grooming became a small but meaningful return to normality, and perhaps a welcome reason to smile after days of hardship.
The 34 year old Binod Sharma from Jintu Borah in Charaideo district lost everything he had in his tea business during the flood.
Yet he feels grateful to the MLA for offering the grooming service in times of crisis.
“Our salons were closed, so we couldn’t even get a haircut or have our beards shaved. He arranged these services for us. I had my haircut, and many children and women also took the services”, he told Daily Waadaa.
Mrunali Gogoi, president of the Hollow Phukan panchayat, said she saw such initiative for the first time in her life.
“No one thinks like this. He realised that flood-affected people would not get the opportunity to freshen up, so he took this initiative to help us feel better and refresh our minds”, the 43 year old said.
In a conversation with Waadaa, MLA Suruj said the initiative was aimed at helping flood-hit villagers meet basic grooming needs while also giving them a sense of normality after weeks of isolation and devastation.
“So we felt it was our responsibility to meet their needs. For a haircut or a shave, they would normally have to travel 10 to 20 kilometres to the town. But the flood situation is so bad that they cannot go, and many do not even have the means to travel”, he said.
Suruj said the initiative was also intended to help villagers stay mentally strong as they faced the difficult task of rebuilding their lives.
“Just sitting and looking at the devastation will not help. They need to be mentally strong and fight through this difficult situation. If you see your severely damaged house every day, how can you prepare yourself mentally?” he said.
“To rebuild their homes and repair what has been damaged, mental strength is very important. Unless there is some sense of freshness and normality, how will that mental strength grow?”
The relief effort also included physiotherapy and medical services.
“We did not bring only salon workers. We also brought physiotherapists because many people need treatment. Physiotherapy doctors were there, and a medical camp was also organised,” he said.
The response from villagers, he added, was encouraging.
“Both men and women in the village were happy with the service,” Suruj said.
He said the salon workers volunteered their skills because they could not afford to provide financial assistance to flood victims.
“The boys and girls who work in salons do not have enough money to financially support flood-affected people. But they have their experience and skills, and they also have the desire to help,” he said.
The volunteers, who took nothing in return, provided services to more than 1,000 people in a single day.
Nimikha Dehingia, working president of Ami (WE) and Suruj’s daughter, said the organisation brought together volunteer barbers and beauticians to provide grooming services to flood-hit villagers.
The idea emerged from discussions within the organisation about the psychological impact of the disaster.
“Even when we talk generally about mental health, grooming is an important part of our lives. It helps us feel mentally stable and is one of the first steps towards taking care of ourselves,” she said.
The organisation had already been involved in social work for months, providing an ambulance service, supporting students with their education, and organising summer camps and cultural activities.
“But the flood was completely new to us. The districts affected this time had never really experienced floods on this scale. Even our grandfathers were not familiar with such a situation because it had never happened in these areas before,” Nimikha told Waadaa.
Around 15 people died in their Mahmora constituency alone, she said.
The disruption to transport made it particularly difficult for villagers to travel to towns for basic services, including grooming services.
“So we thought grooming services could give people a chance to relax mentally, even for a little while. And honestly, it did. People were happy when we provided the services and accepted them very positively.”
The initiative gradually attracted more participants from Moran’s salons.
“There were around 15 to 20 parlours initially, but more than 20 parlours eventually became associated with the initiative,” she said.
The grooming drive has now ended as the immediate need has been met, with the organisation shifting its focus to healthcare.
“We have stopped the parlour services now because the immediate requirement has been met,” Nimikha added.
Raja Ahmed, owner of Khatiswag Women Salon & Academy, from whose salon three beauticians joined the initiative, said he decided to contribute because he could not stand by while people around him were suffering.
“If humans don’t work for humans, who will they work for? A human must help another human”, Raja said.
Raja said he believed helping others was ultimately more valuable than material possessions.
“You cannot take anything with you in life, not your money, not even your parents. Whatever you do and whatever happiness you bring to others, that is what you get back in life,” he told Waadaa.
“If you find happiness in helping people, then people will also help others. I cannot simply sit, eat and sleep while someone else is suffering.”