How Will We Survive?: Workers distressed over Gymkhana Club eviction
Employees of Delhi Gymkhana Club fear losing jobs after the Centre ordered the club to vacate its premises by June 5. Around 600 workers face uncertainty, while the club plans legal action against the government’s land resumption order
New Delhi: Anxiety and uncertainty have gripped employees of the iconic Delhi Gymkhana Club after the Centre instructed the club to vacate its premises by June 5, with several workers fearing loss of livelihood after decades of service to one of the capital’s most prestigious institutions. Nandan Singh Negi, President of the Gymkhana Employee Welfare Association, stated that the staff was informed on Saturday about the Centre’s plan to take over the club premises.
“We were told about the development yesterday. Staff members have been calling me throughout the night, asking what will happen to them and where they will go,” Negi said. Rameshwar, a staff member who has worked at the club for over 35 years, expressed that the unexpected order has left employees worried about how they will support their families.
“Many of us have spent over three decades here, while others have worked for 10 to 15 years. We do not know how we will sustain our families now,” he said, adding that finding another job at this stage of life would be difficult for many workers.
Several staff members gathered at the Gymkhana Club on Sunday, demanding clarity on the situation.
A housekeeping staff member shared her distress, stating that she had spent her entire life working at the club and was now facing the possibility of losing both her home and job within days. “I am old now and have dedicated my entire life to this work. Our ‘jhuggi’ is also set to be demolished on May 26. First, our home, and now our job – how are we going to survive?” she said tearfully.
She added that the workers would be willing to move wherever the club might be relocated in the future.
Retired General P K Sehgal, a member of the club since 1972, described it as one of Delhi’s most prestigious clubs and expressed concern over the uncertainty faced by the workers.
“Around 600 workers are employed here, and many are now on the verge of losing their jobs,” Sehgal said. He mentioned that the committee members had held a meeting after receiving the notice and decided to challenge the order in court.
The club premises, located at 2 Safdarjung Road in Lutyens’ Delhi, were originally leased to the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club Ltd, now known as the Delhi Gymkhana Club, for operating a social and sporting institution.
In an order issued on May 22, the Land and Development Office under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs sought “re-entry and resumption” of the land, stating that the site falls within a highly sensitive and strategic area and is urgently required for institutional and governance-related purposes.
