For the villagers of Borguli, Kiyit, and Ngopok, getting a decent haircut meant travelling 20 kilometres to Mebo town or 55 kilometres to Pasighat, the headquarters of the East Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh. That was before Toklom Perme happened nine months ago.
It is not unusual for small ethnic communities in Arunachal Pradesh to celebrate their first venturer in high-profile professions or in white-collar jobs. Mr. Perme, 26, arguably the first Adi tribesman to set up a barbershop in a rural belt, is also being hailed, at least by some 1,200 male villagers he caters to.
Akok Lego, a Kiyit village elder, was sceptical when Mr. Perme approached him in January seeking space for opening a barbershop. The young man, he thought, would probably not last long pursuing a trade associated with Hindi speakers.
