Boris Johnson, who was the Prime Minister of Britain during the Corona period, has a very close relationship with Delhi’s Gymkhana Club. His mother-in-law Deep Kaur once upon a time used to come to play tennis at this Gymkhana Club in Delhi. The tennis court of this club is said to be the largest court after Wimbledon. It was here that the eyes of Deep Kaur and Daljeet Singh met and both of them got married with the consent of the family.
Daljit Singh was the real brother of famous writer and editor Khushwant Singh and son of Sardar Sobha Singh. Sobha Singh was the greatest builder of the British era. Most of the colonial buildings in Delhi were built by him, but the marriage of Daljeet and Deep could not last long. When Daljeet went abroad, Deep fell in love with BBC journalist Sir Charles Wheeler in London. Deep broke up with Daljeet and married Charles. Boris Johnson became the son-in-law of this couple.
Gymkhana witnesses the love story of Boris Johnson’s mother-in-law
Deep Kaur’s daughter Marina Wheeler in her book Homestead; In My Mother, Partition and the Punjab, he has beautifully depicted his mother’s love story and memories of the Gymkhana Club. Deep’s family settled in Delhi from Sargodha in Pakistan after partition. Father was a medical practitioner. Deep was 17 years old at that time and she used to go to Gymkhana Club to play tennis, where she caught the attention of Daljeet.
Sardar Sobha Singh also agreed to this marriage and both of them got married in a grand bungalow located at Janpath (then it was called King George Avenue). This was the grandest wedding of that time and also a historic love story of the Gymkhana Club. After marriage with Daljeet, Deep met Sir Charles Wheeler here, but got married in London. After her divorce from Daljeet, the daughter they had is Marina Wheeler.
Only for Europeans
When the British came to India, to keep their people together, they set up cantonments for the army, which were called cantts, and civil lines for the British civilians, Mall Road for evening marketing and roaming, which was then called The Mall. He created clubs where civilians and British military officers would take their wives. There would have been tennis and badminton courts, there would also have been arrangements for swimming, but only Britishers would have entered here.
Today’s Gymkhana Club in Delhi is a symbol of the same colonial tradition. Although this club was only for British military officers. After independence, officers of the Indian Army became its implementers. Although he also made some civilians members of this club. But these clubs are so elite that it is difficult for a common man to enter there. Today its fees are said to be several lakh rupees.
Grandfather buys membership, grandson takes care of it!
On top of that, the waiting list is so long that the grandfather can take membership and the grandson can enjoy sitting in the gymkhana. According to the information received, the waiting list here is three decades long. This club is built on 27.3 acres on Safdar Jung Road in Lutyens Zone in Delhi. The Gymkhana Club, located right in front of the residence of former Prime Minister late Indira Gandhi, is 113 years old. When the British shifted the capital to Delhi, many clubs also came to Delhi. However, the royal Calcutta Club of the former capital Calcutta (now Kolkata) remained at Hastings. Even today, one can enter the Calcutta Club only after wearing suit-boots-tie, but after independence, Indians were allowed to go wearing dhoti-kurta and slippers. Kurta-pajama are not allowed there. Similarly, the fear of suit-boot-tie existed in Cawnpore Club of Kanpur till just a few years ago.
Dress code is strictly enforced
Clubs have come into existence in India since the arrival of the Europeans. Therefore, the British dress code is applicable in pre-independence clubs. There is no freedom to wear jeans in The Royal Bengal Club of Kolkata. You cannot go to the Press Club of Chandigarh wearing Bermuda or half pants, even though there is a swimming pool there. Another elite Chelmsford Club of Delhi is also a similar royal club which was formed in 1928. Earlier it was also called Punjabi Biradari Club. The members of this club located on Raisina Road are big businessmen and officers. It is close to Shastri Bhawan, Krishi Bhawan, Rail Bhawan and Parliament. Right opposite the Chelmsford Club is the Press Club. Roshanara Club near Shaktinagar in Delhi was also established in 1922. Many kings and emperors of Punjab were among those who founded this club, but entry into this club was restricted for Indians.
IIC leads in elite club
The Golf Club in Delhi was built in 1933 and from the beginning it was a club for the rich. Spread over 220 acres, this club is the most green. Earlier its name was Lodhi Golf Course but from 1951 its name also changed and golf holes were also increased. It has 18 holes. All around it there are buildings and forts built during the Tughlaq, Lodhi and Mughal periods. Its fees are very high and the waiting list is 30 years. But the most popular in Delhi is India International Center (IIC). Its fees are very low. The total annual fee is Rs 5000 and currently there are around 7000 members. It was built in 1962, long after independence. Membership of this club spread over a total of 8 acres is very difficult to get. Although at the time of its establishment it was decided that its membership would be given to people associated with art and culture, but most of the politicians are its members.
Symbol of slavery on historical heritage
Now that the Government of India has used the ax on the Gymkhana Club, the owners of all the clubs are restless. Citing national security and public interest, the government has announced action to acquire the land of this club. It has been clearly said that this land should be vacated by June 5. As soon as the notice was issued against this club of elite people, everyone was shocked. Its members are top officers of the Indian Army and top bureaucrats. Common man is not allowed to enter here. Apart from this, the government had also received information about the financial irregularities of this club. There are also allegations against the club that some people have become a hub of whispering, laughter and many kinds of disturbances. However, its members are planning to go to the Supreme Court to save this club. He says that it is a historical heritage.
Discrimination in every club
Be it the oldest club of Delhi or the IIC Club which was formed much after independence, one thing is clear that all these clubs make the elite people happy with the money of the common people. The government provided land for all the clubs almost free of cost and that too in a prime location. Apart from this, liquor and food items in clubs are subsidized by the government. Therefore, justice says that clubs should keep their every activity transparent. Besides, membership should also be open to everyone. Earlier, common people were allowed to visit the Constitution Club, but now the common people do not have access to the main hall there. Therefore, the common middle class person is happy with the notice received by Gymkhana Club. The clubs used to practice a kind of discrimination, almost like caste discrimination. The man sitting inside the club did not allow anyone from outside any class to come inside.
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