Opinion | Delhi Gymkhana Club’s Colonial Elitism Must Make Way For Something Of Public Value

The Delhi Gymkhana Club sits in a corner of new India like a royal family portrait in a tech startup office.

Traffic flows and dust swirls on the hot Delhi streets outside, heedless of the delusions of grandeur of the people and premises inside, if mildly chuffed by their elitist pointlessness. Even a nation aspiring to be rich like never before knows it does not belong here, because the mantle of membership is passed on not by merit but by privilege.

Delhi Gymkhana, just like the narcissism-on-canvas of a royal family which hangs in a fast and utilitarian organisation because of some higher-up’s whim, has nevertheless existed 12 whole years into Narendra Modi’s term as PM. Right next to his official residence, that too. Which in itself is a feat.

But 113 years of occupying 27.3 acres (think eight full-size cricket grounds) of sinfully costly real estate is enough time for wealthy and powerful families to pass down membership to their progeny, enjoy subsidised booze, and pay the government a grand rent of Rs 1,000 at the end of the year.

Generous patrons tip waiters more than that on certain tipsy nights.

When the Empire in 1913 created the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club on a perpetual lease, it was meant as a recreational space for those who governed, neatly detached from their subjects. That was in the DNA of colonial-era clubs which the brown sahibs merrily inherited.

These insulated institutions eventually turned into the haunts of bureaucrats, defence officers, politicians, power brokers, and businessmen who had plenty of time on their hands. Their children are automatically handed membership and occasionally bring friends over to flaunt their legacy.

The clubs do not function as sports facilities for the public but as networking hubs for the permanent establishment, the “steel frame” which corners colonial perks and often views itself as above public accountability.

Delhi Gymkhana’s institutional capture has reached a point where new members reportedly pay Rs 30-40 lakh upfront but have to wait 37 years to get membership.

It is a mockery of Indian democracy. Clubs like Delhi Gymkhana are exactly what the new India is not. Today’s India is fiercely aspirational but believes in equal opportunity. It chooses merit over dynastic privilege in a heartbeat. It dirties its hands and works hard for success and does not care for hand-me-downs. It is involved in nation-building and does not prefer to remain detached and feel superior in hallowed chat spaces.

On May 22, 2026, the Land & Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs invoked the public purpose clause in the original lease and ordered the club to hand over the entire premises by June 5, 2026. It cited urgent needs for defence infrastructure and public security.

There cannot be a more compelling cause. The eviction does not pose an existential crisis for the club’s patrons. They are rich and powerful enough to find cosy spaces to chat. On their way out, they must pay Rs 2.93 crore in taxes that reports say they owe the public exchequer. Paying one’s dues is not exactly public service, but it would be a good parting note.

Abhijit Majumder is the author of the book ‘India’s New Right’. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.