Is Beige The New Brown?

• Applicants have to go through as many as 4-6 meetings with committee members who assess suitability for membership
  
• Children are not allowed in the club's main buildings or dining room
  
• Especially difficult for politicians and filmstars to get membership

• Kurta-pyjama and Kolhapuri chappals not allowed
  
• Applicants must attend an 'at home' where committee members can size them up. Pak high commissioner could not attend; his membership held up
  
• Ayahs, members' domestic servants, cannot enter club buildings

• Dhotis only allowed on Poila Boisakh and Bijoy Sammelan, and then too they mustn't reveal legs above the mid-calf
  
• Sandals permitted only if they are "substantially genteel and cover portions of foot and ankle"
  
• Kurta-pyjama not allowed (this rules out W Bengal Governor Gopal Gandhi), nor are cargo pants

• Has a bar reserved for Men Only—it's out of bounds to women members
  
• Laptops can’t be used on the club grounds—never mind if Bangalore is India's cyber capital
  
• No churidar-kurta. National Law School director, turned away from a Republic Day function, resigned his membership.
  
• Only leather shoes, no sports shoes allowed in clubhouse

• Willingdon Club: No memberships to Bollywood stars, racehorse owners & jockeys; photography without permission is prohibited; a barefoot M.F. Husain was shown the door when he arrived
  
• Bombay Gymkhana: In the dining room, shoes are the norm, chappals not allowed
  
• Breach Candy: Once it had a sign saying 'Dogs and Indians Not Allowed'. Now Indians can get in, but the application for membership has to be proposed by a foreign committee member. Still has a special quota for foreigners.

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