Occupying some of India’s most valuable, government-owned real estate, elite clubs from Delhi to Mumbai are facing uncomfortable questions. The Delhi Gymkhana Club row has sparked a conversation on whether public land should continue to support private privilege. The row has left the elites sweating.
India’s elite clubs have suddenly become a bit uncomfortable. There are questions being asked by both the government and those who denounce the “club culture”, like, can institutions built on public land continue to enjoy extraordinary privileges in a country where every acre is under pressure? The debate has been ignited by the Delhi Gymkhana Club, one of the country’s most exclusive social institutions, after it received an eviction notice from the Union government in May.
The Land and Development Office asked the club to vacate its 27-acre premises by June 5, citing its use for defence infrastructure and other public purposes in the high-security zone just steps away from the Prime Minister’s residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg.
Members of the Delhi Gymkhana Club swiftly challenged the order in the Delhi High Court. But the controversy has already sent ripples through elite clubs across the country. From Mumbai and Bengaluru to Chennai and even smaller cities like Varanasi, several prestigious gymkhanas and membership clubs occupy prime government-leased land in some of India’s most valuable neighbourhoods.
In principle, there is nothing wrong with private clubs. They offer spaces for recreation, networking and community life. But when such institutions operate on publicly owned land at concessional rates, questions are bound to arise – about transparency, accountability and whether these arrangements continue to serve any public interest.
For instance, the Delhi Gymkhana Club sits on 27 acres of prime Lutyens’ Delhi land, leased from the government at a nominal rent of Rs 1,000 a year. Yes, Rs 1,000 a year for 27 acres. Not just that, the club has also drawn attention because of alleged mismanagement and opaque membership procedure.
The Delhi Gymkhana dispute has brought those questions into focus, and elite clubs and gymkhanas across India are sweating over the possibility that the easy access and privileges they have long enjoyed could be snatched away. Privilege, after all, is a difficult thing to give up once one gets used to it.
Even the Delhi Golf Club, spread across nearly 170 acres of government-leased land in the heart of the capital, has come under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court. Although its lease runs until 2050, people have questioned why such a large parcel of prime public land is being used mainly for the benefit of a small, privileged group, while generating relatively little revenue for the government.
The club also houses several heritage monuments, including some under the Archaeological Survey of India, all of which remain inaccessible to the public.
Here is a closer look at similar clubs across India and how, and their actions after the Delhi Gymkhana row.
