The Delhi Gymkhana Club, a bastion of privilege for India’s political and business elite since 1913, is under threat of closure. The club, which counts prime ministers and corporate titans among its members, has been ordered to vacate its prime central Delhi land by the city’s development authority. The order, issued on grounds of alleged lease violations, marks a rare challenge to the entrenched advantages of the super-rich.
For decades, the club’s manicured lawns and wood-panelled bars have hosted discreet power deals and exclusive galas. Now, its future hangs in the balance as the government cracks down on what critics call ‘land-grabbing by the elite’. The club’s members, many of whom are also lawmakers and industrialists, have pushed back, citing historical significance and the need for continued diplomatic and business networking.
But for ordinary Delhi residents, the fight over a club they can never join symbolises a deeper rot. ‘This club is a monument to exclusion,’ says Sunita Sharma, a teacher living in a cramped flat nearby. ‘While we struggle to afford rent, they lounge around swimming pools paid for by land grants meant for public use.’
The dispute taps into a raw nerve about inequality in a city where ostentatious wealth exists alongside grinding poverty. Labour unions and housing activists have cheered the eviction notice, arguing that the land should be used for affordable housing or public parks. ‘The lease was meant for a sporting club, not a private fortress for the rich,’ says Rahul Verma, a housing rights lawyer.
Yet the club’s defenders counter that it generates employment and encourages philanthropy. ‘We contribute to the city’s social fabric,’ argues a long-time member, who spoke on condition of anonymity. ‘Shutting us down would hurt livelihoods.’
The stand-off comes amid a broader push by the government to reclaim public land from powerful occupants. But with the club’s members including sitting judges and politicians, many doubt the order will be enforced. ‘The rich always find a way,’ mutters a taxi driver waiting outside the club gates, watching the chauffeur-driven cars glide through.
For the working class of Delhi, the Gymkhana Club’s fate is a litmus test: will the law really apply to the powerful, or will privilege once again prevail?
