From bringing tea to calling plumber, it’s all in a day’s work for ‘security guards’
Times of India | 1 July 2025
Kolkata: A 43-year-old resident of the Park Circus area, who works as a security guard at one of the colleges in central Kolkata, has to bring tea for professors and non-teaching staff from a roadside stall, about 150 metres away, at least thrice a day. Besides, he has to run errands like bringing medicine or snacks, getting umbrellas repaired, or hailing metered cabs.
"I get around Rs 10,000 a month for standing at the gate and keeping an eye. But I cannot remain standing there all the time during college hours since I have to work outdoors as well, for fetching a variety of things for the professors or staff of various departments. I fear that if any untoward incident happens on the campus in my absence, what shall I answer if asked about my responsibility?" he wondered.
This is not an one-off case. Most of the college security guards' work has anything remotely connected to "security". From bringing tea to calling a plumber, it is all in a day's work for "security guards" at some colleges across the city.
"Yes, I report for duty at least an hour before the day section of the college starts at 10 am and stay on the campus till at least 6 pm. But most of my work revolves around getting things for professors and non-teaching staff and, sometimes, union leaders," the security guard of a college on Amherst Street said. And, when the occasion calls, he also doubles up as the go-to electrician and plumber before expert help reaches the campus.
A central Kolkata girls' college security guard has pretty much the same story to tell. This man, well into his 60s, gets Rs 10,000 a month for his 10-hour workday. He considers himself "lucky" to get that much at his age. "I am also fortunate that I work on a campus where there is not too much trouble, union-related or otherwise," he said. But not much of what he does has to do with security, he admitted, except "opening the college gates and classroom doors".
A professor, requesting anonymity, pointed out that the govt had dissolved the post of security guard or gatekeeper. "Once a permanent gatekeeper retires, no new appointment is made. Instead, colleges have to rope in security guards from private agencies and the expenses are borne from college funds. So, the money spent on hiring security guards banks on the funds of respective colleges. The gatekeeper's room on our campus has been razed," he said.
Ramesh Yadav, a security guard of a city college, said: "I was appointed here by a private agency. When any professor or other official asks us to bring something from outside, I cannot refuse them. But the gate remains unmanned when I am not there.
"A section of professors conceded that the role of guards ought to be restricted to security duties only. Debasish Karmakar, a zoology professor of City College at Raja Rammohan Sarani, said: "Following the heinous crime at the law college, all institutions across the city must beef up their security. We have two security guards and even if one of them is not there, the other one is on duty. Apart from the posting of security guards, there should be a register book for visitors.
"Jaydeep Sarangi, principal of New Alipore College, stated that he called a meeting on Monday to discuss how to enhance the campus security. "Currently, our security guards are hired from an agency. We are now reviewing our security arrangements and I feel that they must be allowed to work independently, instead of being instructed what to do.