Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, had responded that of the 129 sanctioned posts for both Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, only 52 have been filled.
Vishnu Prasad and Vijay Kumar are the last two guards on the government payroll stationed at the Gandhi Memorial in Delhi. Prasad and Kumar sitting outside their respective workplaces at Gandhi Smriti on Tees January Marg and Darshan Samiti at Rajghat, respectively reminisce the days when they had joined the job and how with time all their colleagues have either retired or left, while they continue to count months to their retirement.
In response to a question asked in the Lok Sabha recently, Dr Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, had responded that of the 129 sanctioned posts for both Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, only 52 have been filled.
Prasad, now 56, after coming to Delhi from Nepal, had started to visit the memorial site in 1974 to meet his friend working there. Initially, he did small jobs in and around the campus for Rs 1.40 per day, which rose to Rs 360 per day by 1985 when he got a permanent job.
"They had given an advertisement in the paper for ex-servicemen to join. Six people had been shortlisted, but the officer wrote on the paper - if one of them does not join, Prasad can be hired. It was my luck that I got the appointment letter on September 23, 1985, which I have saved to this day," said Prasad, waiting to retire in four years.
In the last over 30 years of service, both of them have seen prominent politicians from India and abroad come and pay their respect to 'Bapu'.
"It is sad to see that most of the visitors here are foreigners. We do not see locals very often. I wish more youngsters would come and pay respect to the Mahatma and read about his life," said Kumar, who got permanent in 1988, and will retire next year.
Currently, a private company is providing security guards in three shifts. For Kumar and Prasad, it has always been the same eight-hour shift starting 9 am, where now they share their gained experience with the young guards and monitor them closely.
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