Last orders for Delhi’s most exclusive ‘Imperial’ club

The Indian government has abruptly terminated the lease of one of the country’s most elite and historic private members’ clubs, sparking a debate over its colonial history and the loss of a cultural institution.

- MAROOSHA MUZAFFAR IN DELHI

The Delhi Gymkhana Club was founded in 1913 when India was under British rule and originally called the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club. London-born colonial administrator Spencer Harcourt Butler was the club’s first president, according to its website.

After India became independent in 1947, the word “Imperial” was removed from the name, and the club has evolved into a popular – if exclusive – watering hole for Indian bureaucrats, diplomats, military officers and influential Delhi families. Membership fees are prohibitively expensive, reportedly in excess of 2 million Indian rupees (over £15,500) a year for private citizens, pricing out most Delhi residents.

The Indian government has directed the club to vacate the 27.3-acre property it occupies in Delhi by 5 June, arguing that the land was urgently required for defence and security-related infrastructure. The club sits in a prime central Delhi location, close to government ministries and the prime minister’s residence.

Though it has cited national security in its eviction order, the government has for months been involved in a dispute with the club over alleged financial and administrative irregularities.

According to The Print, the government’s Land and Development Office (L&DO) sent three notices between September last year and May this year demanding around Rs 475m (£3.7m) in unpaid ground rent and other dues. The government reportedly warned that nonpayment could trigger proceedings to reclaim the property under the conditions of its lease.