Thiruvananthapuram: The alpha male revolutionaries of the world were all bearded. Marx, Che, Fidel, Nujoma. All were bushy-chinned. In Latin America they were called barbudos, the bearded ones, a term that evoked greater awe and admiration than 'revolutionaries'.
But in Kerala where the barbudos are revered like gods and celebrated as icons of virility, it was Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay's Devadas who still managed to win the day.
A beard in Kerala is traditionally not a sign of valour but a sign of failure, an indication of serious emotional breakdown. It was only those who drank themselves to death, especially the jilted lover, who had no time to shave. Nowadays, a beard insinuates something even worse: a terrorist.
It was to bury the ghosts of Devadas and Osama bin Laden that the first ever society of bearded gents in the state was formed. “There is a general feeling that bearded people are addicted to booze and drugs, and are generally big failures in life,” said Anas Abdullah, the founder of Kerala Beard Society (KBS).
As if this was not enough, the police, too, treat them with suspicion. “I was recently picked up by the police and was asked, for no particular reason, whether I was a terrorist,” Abdullah said.
Initially, the bearded of the state networked on Facebook. “We were just 20-odd members, and we used to share our problems, especially the way the society was looking down upon us,” said Shafeer Affiance, another of the founding members and a textile shop owner based in Thrissur.
“Almost all of us were irritated by the general perception that we were drunkards or drug addicts, or, worse still, that we were out to kill. This was turning out to be a serious psychological issue for those of us who loved to grow a beard,” Affiance said.
This was why, to correct a distorted perception, the small FB group decided to get out of the virtual world to form a charitable society. “We wanted the world to look at us differently. It was futile to shout from the rooftops that we were not addicts or killers. Only our deeds could speak for us,” Abdullah said.
The first thing they did was mobilise money for a Thrissur family in which all the members had lost their mobility to some strange and sudden disease. Then, in August last year, the KBS organised a massive protest gathering in Thrissur town when a Dalit boy, Vinayakan, committed suicide after he was tortured by the police simply because his hair did not conform to the police's version of civility. “Vinayakan's death was a big warning for the likes of us,” Shafeer said.
It also became routine for the KBS members to visit differently-abled schools, and entertain the kids. All their activities were posted on the KBS FB page. Even the prize money they won at 'beard competitions' (Shafeer had won two major ones) were used for charitable activities.
Bearded gents across the state, inspired by what the society was doing, began to contact the society. In a year, the membership swelled. On July 6, when the KBS celebrated its first anniversary in Thiruvananthapuram, the membership had grown to 400 plus.
Their latest venture is the renovation of the library of the Veliancode Government Fisheries Lower Primary School, Malappuram.
Before a member joins the KBS, a charter is read out to them. The most important clause in the charter is that a member should not use intoxicants of any kind. Also, only those above 20 are given entry.
The KBS members are also given an official attire, a black tee with a golden beard as its logo. A member who was reported smoking, wearing the KBS tee, was expelled from the society.
The KBS members, by demonstrating character that mothers would be proud of, have unknowingly modeled themselves on the original barbudos.
The barbudos - Che, Fidel and the entire bearded Sierra Maestra brigade - did not drink, did not loot, and conducted themselves as if they were saints. In a sense, the KBS has also stoked a revolution, a struggle to uproot entrenched perceptions.
The larger goal apart, the barbudos of the KBS also share preening tips. “We speak to each other of the problems we face while growing a beard, and offer solutions,” Shafeer said.
Even non-members can call them to get tips on how best to grow a beard. Here is one number that can be contacted for 'bearding' tips: 9995223066.
