I was concerned for "Banty Salon" and hairdresser Aslam when frenzied BJP workers went on the rampage inside the Daily Market trying to impose a violent bandh in Bariatu bustee the day after militants attacked Ayodhya.

Muslim traders dominate the Bariatu bustee and Daily Market in Ranchi. There are two points in the matter that bother me. Primarily, I was unable to comprehend why the frenzied Sangh Parivar vandals singled out the Muslim-dominated markets?

Is there any evidence to suggest that people in the Daily Market or Bariatu bustee or for that matter any other Jharkhand city had exported the 'jihadis' to attack the makeshift temple at Ayodhya?

But my concern was more poignant, for "Banty Salon" and Aslam especially. I must admit, it was due to selfish reasons.

After a long search on my arrival at Ranchi last year, I discovered Aslam of Banty Salon in Bariatu bustee as the perfect hairdresser to trim my precious beard in perfect symmetry. In fact, the threat on Banty Salon and Aslam might not have caused much anxiety to bald and bareheaded people, as it did to people like me. The likes of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi and I, cannot do without Aslams, for we love to keep our beard in shape.

Ranchi streets are not devoid of salons and parlours. The GL Church Complex on the Main Road, Ashok Nagar, Heritage Tower near the Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and Sree Jee Tower on the Kutchery road offer several air-conditioned and posh parlours and salons.

But few hairdressers in these elegant looking parlours have perfected the art of beard trimming.

In fact, it is not easy to master trimming. "One can hide a faulty hair cut, but even a little bit of uneven cut on the chin and de-shaped whiskers will instantly be noticed, exposing the hairdresser's lack of skill," Aslam had once remarked while trimming my beard. I know he was right. He further said
beard trimming requires a lot of patience and skill with scissors.

Needless to say all those who love to keep their beard in shape and stay on this stretch make a beeline to Banty Parlour, mostly on Sundays. Many insist on Aslam to trim their beard.

Similarly, one has seldom seen the Sangh Parivar's "blue-eyed boy" Narendra Modi without a beard in proper shape trimmed and dandy. I guess he must be proud of his as I am of mine. I firmly believe that Modi, again like me, must have his favourite Muslim beard-trimmer.

I have many bearded friends in the RSS and BJP in Bihar and Jharkhand who have Muslim hairdressers as their favourite. Bearded Bihar BJP president Sushil Kumar Modi is one of them.

It is a common perception that Muslim barbers are better than the Hindu ones. Born and brought up in a remote Bihar village, I can say with authority that Muslim hairdressers are preferred over their Hindu counterparts in villages too.

Perhaps, the importance accorded to the length of beard in the Holy Quran and Hadith inspires Muslim barbers to respect beards more, making them more competent than others in centuries old beard trimming art.

I wonder why Narendra Modi and Sushil Modi, two people who I suspect depend largely on Muslims to keep their beard in shape, do not instruct their Parivar cadres to not to selectively target Daily Market and Bariatu bustee which have skilled beard-trimmers.

I do not expect much from Jharkhand BJP chief Jadunath Pandey who has got the sobriquet of being a "Muslim hater" in M. J. Akbar's 'Riots after Riots'. And more importantly, Pandey does not sport a beard.