Interview with Faisal Yacqub

(Q1) INTERVIEWER: Do we have your permission to tape record?

(A1) FAISAL YACQUB: Yes, yes, you have my permission.

(Q2) INTERVIEWER: Would you please introduce yourself.

(A2) FAISAL YACQUB: My home is right here-my name is Faisal Yacqub.

(Q3) INTERVIEWER: And when did your family come to this area?

(A3) FAISAL YACQUB: My family came to this area before 1910.

(Q4) INTERVIEWER: Really-do you know why they came here?

(A4) FAISAL YACQUB: Poverty was the situation back then. At that time we were barbers. We also did some surgical procedures. We'd lance and split boils and wounds. For this reason some people brought us here and we took up residence. That is to say we became residents-we began to live here in Arampur. Since then at least four generations have gone by. We're in the fifth. We're not a well off family-we're a poor family. We're manual labor types. We haven't had enough to study well, to wear good clothes and to eat well. But by the grace of God we're living in the right way-we get food, I have four children and I send them to school but, nonetheless, things aren't the way they should be. We don't have valuable possessions or earning power, or a business, or a profession or assistance-we have nothing. But still we're moving along the best we can living in India . And now what?

(Q5) INTERVIEWER: So from the very beginning did your family work as barbers ?

(A5) FAISAL YACQUB: No at first we did lancing and work on sores and wounds. For example, take a wound or a sore, we'd lance it and then administer some kind of treatment like-applying ointments and dressings and such. Then after that we resumed our caste vocation as barbers-some on footpaths, others in shops. Some were householders with fields and kept waterbuffaloes and cows and lived their lives any way they could .

(Q6) INTERVIEWER: So what kinds of things do you do as a barber.

(A6) FAISAL YACQUB: Well, the work of a barber is cutting hair, moustaches and beards.

(Q7) INTERVIEWER: Do you also do massages?

(A7) FAISAL YACQUB: Yep, we also do massages. It used to be that my mother and sister would go to homes to give massages. But now that's infrequent, it's not like it was. It's looked down upon.

(Q8) INTERVIEWER: Why, in your opinion, is it looked down upon. (A8) FAISAL YACQUB: We became seen as dirty: "Work and eat but it's not right for your mother or sister to come to our home."

(Q9) INTERVIEWER: Say, can you tell me whether there's a special way of giving massages. That is to say, is there a special technique? Where did you learn how to give massages and from whom?

A9) FAISAL YACQUB: As far as we're concerned, well there was my father. My father did this work, and we all learned gradually by watching him. So, suppose a customer comes to get his beard or moustache done, he'll say: "give me a massage too." He'll give the money and we'll do the massage.

(Q10) INTERVIEWER: Ok, but as far as I've seen, barbers generally have their own special way of doing massages. That is to say that it's not just any old massage. So could you please tell us something about that? In order to do a massage, what's necessary? (Pause) Sorry, maybe my question wasn't clear. What kind of massages do you give? Head massages or full body massages?

(A10) FAISAL YACQUB: I just give head massages. Some of my brothers go and give full body massages, in the village, in their own homes or in a shop in a city

(Q11) INTERVIEWER: And what are the benefits of a massage? (A11) FAISAL YACQUB: All of the body's pain goes away-that's the main point.

(Q12) INTERVIEWER: So please tell us something about this village. What kind of village is it? Are there any special stories connected with this village-like historical tales?

(A12) FAISAL YACQUB: Yes-you see in this place there are many ancient and venerable things. Right by here is the fort of Raja Vicitra . Raja Vicitra was a great king, a very great king and of course Shastri Brahm, whom we venerate, was there at that time a long time ago. People say, well people have written about this in books, meaning those people who are learned they've written about it and we've heard about it listening over the years that Shastri Brahm came here and in some way or other he was destroyed. As far as I know after this he was venerated and poor Raja Vicitra was destroyed and fled away somewhere. And next to his fort is the tomb of Bakhtiyar Khilji , in the hills you see over there. And a great saint also came here, Maqdum Shah. Dargah Pir Saheb also came here. Sabir Baba also came here. And of course Shastri Brahm , he was also a great soul wasn't he? And nowadays there are only small time "mahatmas" who come around saying "Ram, Ram" but that's another thing. In times past, those people wouldn't care about anything-not about their children or their homes, or wealth or money. They'd just follow along the path of Allah. That's the way it was back then.

(Q13) INTERVIEWER: As I explained earlier, we are tape recording so that American students can learn something about India . So could you please explain to us something about India ?

(A13) FAISAL YACQUB: What? What do I know about India ?

(Q14) INTERVIEWER: Well you're Indian aren't you and you know more about Indian than we do. So, in your opinion what should American students understand about India ?

(A14) FAISAL YACQUB: Well, look everything's fine. Meaning, it's better than it was. There's a government in some places, Naxalites in other, always some group or other.

(Q15) INTERVIEWER: Could you tell us something about the struggle for freedom.

(A15) FAISAL YACQUB: Freedom ( Azadi ) was fine.

(Q16) INTERVIEWER: What's the name of this neighborhood?

(A16) FAISAL YACQUB: Our neighborhood is called Pathan Toli. Up ahead near Matru Singh's house, that's where it is.