An office party hosted at the Delhi Gymkhana Club on Monday turned into a “nightmare” for staff of the NGO Guild of Service when they were asked to leave by a club employee who said “maids weren’t allowed”.
Eight staffers of the NGO were guests of its chairperson Dr. V. Mohini Giri, who is a member of the club. The group had gone to the Chinese Room at the Gymkhana Club for lunch when they were told they could not enter.
Dr. Giri, the former chairperson of the National Commission for Women, said as a member of the club for 60 years she was shocked to hear the “biased” response of a member of the club staff.
“I had taken managerial staff of the Guild of Service for lunch to celebrate all the successful projects we had worked on last year. I was told in no uncertain terms that ‘maids’ were not allowed into the Chinese room,” said Dr. Giri, who has worked as a social activist and women’s rights’ campaigner for decades.
She said she refused to leave, and insisted that the party be allowed to enter.
“Firstly, there were no maids in the group. They were accountants, counsellors and other management staff. And, even if they were maids, their dignity cannot be violated,” she said.
Though the group were finally allowed to enter, they had lost their appetites after all the commotion, Dr. Giri said.
She added that it appeared that the club was still stuck in colonial times, when similar institutions banned the entry of Indians.
The club, which caters to the elite of Lutyens’ Delhi, however, distanced itself from the conduct of its employee.
“There may have been one individual who misbehaved with Dr. Giri. We will take action against the person, who is part of the reception staff. We will issue an apology to Dr. Giri,” said Air Commodore Harjit Singh Sassan, the honorary secretary of the club.
He added that the club did not discriminate against guests.
“Members are entitled to bring guests, it doesn’t matter who those guests are,”ss he said.
Eight staffers of NGO Guild of Service had gone to the Chinese Room at the Gymkhana Club for lunch when they were told they could not enter
