By Amrit Prasad Poudel
Beni, Nov. 29: Kumar Karki serves as a fitting example that it is equally difficult to do anything in one's own place. Kumar, who is running a salon in Beni, was initially threatened in Beni when he prepared to start the business. He had come to Beni from Jaljala Rural Municipality of Parbat district to run the salon.
“While the Indian salon operators threatened me fearing that their business will decline, I also faced heartbreaking behaviour from the Nepali brothers,” Karki recalled.
Kumar said that his energy to operate a salon became high after he was threatened by the Indian barbers that he would not be allowed to do business without asking them.
Kumar, who came to Beni after taking a six-month hair cutting training in Porkhara, now runs his own salon with facilities of hair design, curly, state, deadlock as well as threading and nose, ear and cheek piercing.
"I do most of the hair design and hairstyle work myself," said Kumar.
Kumar, who has been doing this business in Beni for the last two and a half years, said that his family used to hide his passport when he was preparing to go abroad.
He said that even the relatives who used to look down on him when he started running the salon were now happy because he was earning good money staying in Nepal.
"Daily, I have been shaving beards and cutting hair of 30 people in average. If this is the case, it should not be taken just as a source to earn a living but also the business should be considered good," said Kumar.
Kumar said that even if the number of people were less in the current situation, it was possible to save Rs 20,000 by deducting monthly expenses. “Why do I have to go abroad if I can save Rs. 20,000 a month by living with my family here?” he said.
Kumar, who started his business by registering it in Beni Municipality in the name of his wife Manju GC, was initially hurt when he saw his wife running away when she saw any people from the side of her maternal home coming toward his salon, but now he is happy that she was giving him advice on design and even was doing herself some design.
He said that had they not had small kids, his wife would also have been working with him in the salon.
He said, "Manju has been cutting and designing my hair and of their two children, sometimes even in the salon.”
Kumar said that even though the hairdressing profession was good as it could begin with a small investment, it was very difficult for the locals to work.
Bel Bahadur Katuwal, senior vice-president of the Myagdi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that even if the barber was a local, the behaviour of the customers was not good.
Katuwal said that the chamber of commerce was committed to encouraging locals but the locals did not want to run salon because of the ill treatment they faced from the customers.
Katuwal said that they would arrange training for the local youths if they wanted to get involved in this field.