You’ve never cut your hair? How is it so long? Isn’t it inconvenient? Isn’t it difficult to take care of it? These are just a few of the questions I get bombarded with whenever someone meets me for the first time. Unfortunately, these are also the questions people who have known me for a while continue to ask. And to all of them, this is my answer: No, I have never cut my hair. It is very long because I have never got it cut, a logical conclusion. And no, it is not a religious choice.
One can guess from my name, the kada on my wrist and, of course, the length of my hair that I belong to a Sikh family. There was a time when all four of us in my family would visit the gurudwara almost every Saturday. Throughout my years as a pre-teen and a teenager, I have been told that as Sikhs we don’t get our hair cut, and we wear a kada. These were the bare minimum obligations my brother and I were fulfilling in order to live up to our religious identity.
Developing an individual identity
But as time passed and I grew into my own self, my thoughts on religion evolved. As opposed to blindly following what my parents told me to do, I began questioning it and developed my own opinion — one of which was that I am not a religious person. But the desire to keep my hair long has stayed with me because I simply love the idea of it.
Now, at almost 23, I hardly ever visit the gurudwara, unless it’s a festive occasion and, therefore, a familial obligation. However, my kada and my hair have become permanent fixtures. My hair has often served as an easy ice-breaker when I meet new people. It is ridiculously long and sometimes just too inconvenient, but this frustration lasts only for fleeting moments. The fact of the matter is, I can’t imagine myself without my hair. But more importantly, with my hair exactly the way it is currently.
When I tell people that my long hair is a personal choice that is not driven by religion, a question I’m often asked is: Why not trim it? Why not get it cut just a little? Won’t that make your life easier? What people don’t understand is that I have never thought of it as an inconvenience. It irks me to even think of getting my hair trimmed, so a haircut is out of the question. I think of my hair as any other part of my body, much like my arms, legs and nose. The thought of getting my hair chopped sounds as dreadful as the thought of someone chopping my any other body part.
Also read: Dear Deepika, mothers & wives who put family’s dreams first deserve an apology not an ode
A woman’s hair: Personal yet so public
Hair has historically played a pivotal role in shaping a woman’s identity. Advocate and scholar Deborah Pergament had written in 1999 that “inferences and judgments about a person’s morality, sexual orientation, political persuasion, religious sentiments and, in some cultures, socio-economic status can sometimes be surmised by seeing a particular hairstyle”.
Although personally, I don’t think my hair as indicative of my political leanings or sexual orientation, that doesn’t take away from the fact that a woman’s hair plays many roles other than just being a part of her body. It is one relationship with your body that is personal, yet so public that it has been used as a sign of rebellion. And it’s personal in terms of the daily ritual one performs with it within the four walls and a mirror of their room.
I believe my appearance should be dictated by my desires, and not by my family’s or society’s expectations or even the religion that I was born into. My hair is something that I have complete power over. It is now almost down till my knees, and there is no other way I would have it.
There are also thi ha ed social norms. You have every right to wear your hair how you want. And people have every right to judge you when you fall outside those norms.
You have every right to wear your hair however you want. And people have every right to question you and look at you when you look so ridiculous. Ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous ridiculous. there ya go Ami Hill, filled in a little for ya!
What a ridiculously stupid “article.” I would imagine the many questions and comments you receive about your hair are subtle hints that you look ridiculous and should focus at least a little on grooming. But you obviously love the attention you get from having such ridiculous hair. I said ridiculous 3 times and it’s still not enough!
Very simply, if you had short hair you wouldn’t be obsessing over it and writing extremely boring and ponderous articles on it ( honestly speaking I read only the headline and decided to write the comment) Do also consider the amount of water you consume and the shampoo you pump in our rivers; presumably you do wash once once in a while.
Meanwhile ~~ The Print Team, you seem to be hitting knee bottom with such articles!
Ugh. Nobody cares but you, so you’re weirdly obsessed with super long long hair, so what? I’m sure that some are obsessed with short hair, no hair, whatever and endure comments! You seem to enjoy the attention anyway.
Really !the print needs to have a reality check, you are publishing an article on something as serious bas length of a woman’s hair and her perceived persecution, while people are being denied right to live!