Bombay Gymkhana may review its stand on bureaucrat membership

Even though Bombay Gymkhana members have decided not to extend ordinary membership to bureaucrats in a vote on June 14, a source from the club reveals that several nay voters might be having second thoughts.
A highly-placed source from the club says, “Many members have been discussing that if they had known all the facts, they would have voted yes.” The club currently allows senior IAS and IPS officers as service members only which means that their membership terminates with their retirement from their government post or on their transfer out of Mumbai.

“The gymkhana’s existence is in question and the vote may sabotage the situation,” says another member. The club occupies government land, the lease for which may soon be up for negotiation. The current vote could create an adverse situation for the club’s future. “There is an existential issue here,” says the source in the know.

The Gymkhana doesn’t have bylaws. Instead, it has articles of association, which state that 75 per cent of the votes should be positive for a resolution to be passed. In this case, the majority dismissed the motion. Many members were against the inclusion of bureaucrats as ordinary members because they thought this could lead to illfunctioning within the organisation.

The elite club has put the vote to rest for now. A senior member says there is a possibility of a re-vote in the near future but nothing has been announced yet. The club celebrated its 141st Founder’s Day on Sunday.