New Delhi: Bengalis have the best hair in India, or that's what thieves at Kolkata airport think. In what appears to be a hair-raising case fit to be investigated by none other than Satyajit Ray's fictional sleuth Feluda, packs of high-quality human hair waiting to be shipped abroad, have been allegedly disappearing regularly from airport premises in the city of joy.
West Bengal has emerged as an important hub for hair collection after Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh due to the quality of Bengali hair, said exporters. Hair collectors on cycles roam around in villages with dugdugis (damaru) in places such as Midnapur and Murshidabad in search of good-quality hair. Women and children exchange tufts of their hair for utensils or cheap gifts. On a good day, a collector gathers 200-300gm of hair.
"Bengalis have a tradition of cleaning and oiling their hair, a process which helps maintain hair quality and colour. Chinese buyers prefer jet black, long and straight hair, something easily available in West Bengal compared to other parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu," said Arup Ghosh, a hair exporter in Kolkata.
The most sought-after human hair for export are 18-26 inch long and cost around Rs 16,000 per kg. In comparison, a kilo of 6-inch hair is sold for Rs 100. It takes around five tons of hair to produce around 10kg of 18-26 inch hair, said exporters. "This is what the hair thieves are after," said Habibul S K, a Kolkata-based hair exporter. "I have lost around 30kg of such hair from Kolkata airport. My competitors have lost more."
30/05/16 John Sarkar/Times of India
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West Bengal has emerged as an important hub for hair collection after Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh due to the quality of Bengali hair, said exporters. Hair collectors on cycles roam around in villages with dugdugis (damaru) in places such as Midnapur and Murshidabad in search of good-quality hair. Women and children exchange tufts of their hair for utensils or cheap gifts. On a good day, a collector gathers 200-300gm of hair.
"Bengalis have a tradition of cleaning and oiling their hair, a process which helps maintain hair quality and colour. Chinese buyers prefer jet black, long and straight hair, something easily available in West Bengal compared to other parts of the country, including Tamil Nadu," said Arup Ghosh, a hair exporter in Kolkata.
The most sought-after human hair for export are 18-26 inch long and cost around Rs 16,000 per kg. In comparison, a kilo of 6-inch hair is sold for Rs 100. It takes around five tons of hair to produce around 10kg of 18-26 inch hair, said exporters. "This is what the hair thieves are after," said Habibul S K, a Kolkata-based hair exporter. "I have lost around 30kg of such hair from Kolkata airport. My competitors have lost more."
30/05/16 John Sarkar/Times of India
