Graduates ward off ‘evil eye’ for a living as pandemic robs them of jobs

Kiran, a B.Tech graduate from a forest-fringe village in Narayanavanam mandal in Chittoor district, was joyful after getting a job at a grocery store in Bengaluru. Being the only bread winner of his household, this job meant the whole lot to him.

The nation-wide lockdown induced by the coronavirus pandemic final yr dashed his hopes as he misplaced his job. However, he resumed his job after the scenario eased. But he misplaced it once more after Bengaluru emerged a COVID hotspot through the second wave of pandemic and he needed to return to his native village.

Not left with any choice, he joined Ravi, his good friend at village and a faculty dropout as an assistant. The new job is ‘trainee dishti remover’ and the wage ₹2,000 per week. The ‘dishti removal’ ritual is excessive in demand on Fridays, Sundays and Amavasyas in his locality.

“I can try for some other job. But it is a long process with no guarantee and I have to run my family. It is my prime responsibility is to support my parents, and two unmarried sisters,” says Mr. Kiran.

The partial lockdowns and evening curfews elsewhere in metropolitan cities proceed to throw many youth out of jobs and so they return to their native locations with nothing of their palms. Post-lockdown, many households and retailers in each city and semi-urban areas are desirous to get the ‘dishti’ (evil eye) faraway from their premises and that is one of the most effective alternatives the likes of Mr. Kiran have as of now.

As towards the accessibility of a dozen males to carry out ‘dishti removal’ within the limits of municipal firms such as Tirupati or Chittoor and buzzing cities like Madanapalle, Puttur, Nagari or Srikalahasti, the COVID predicament is prompted the prople from Satyavedu to Kuppam, alongside the Chittoor-Tamil Nadu border, to carry out the ritual.

“Several small businesses have been closed due to pandemic. Getting job at new firms is far cry. My friend has initiated me into dishti removal,” says Venkat (21), who accomplished his Intermediate from Satyavedu mandal. Many graduates have gotten assistants for the rituals within the rural aspect of Chittoor district, after shedding hope of migrating to Chennai or Bengaluru.

‘Stop-gap arrangement’

“More people want to perform the ritual as the pandemic is rearing its ugly head. It is better to do this than sitting at home idle, which I can not afford to. Of course, it is a stop-gap arrangement. I will start look for jobs as the COVID impact subsides a little,” says Narasimha (26), a B.Com graduate from K.V.B. Puram mandal.