Society

The Long Day Wanes

Mumbai's elite clubs have colonised public land. Now the city files a long chargesheet.

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The Long Day Wanes
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The Big Seven
  • Otters Club, Bandra: 5,000 sq mt
  • Khar Gymkhana: 10,350 sq mt
  • Bombay Presidency Golf Club, Chembur: 32,000 sq mt
  • Chembur Gymkhana: 12,180 sq mt
  • MIG Cricket Club & Gym, Bandra: 2,045 sq mt
  • State Lawn Tennis Association, Chembur: 3,566 sq mt
  • Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana, Santacruz: 951 sq mt

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Dilip Kumar, member of Otters Club, Bandra

The long-festering resentment between members and non-members, coupled with mounting public pressure over recent weeks, meant Patil's office had to act. And that too against wealthy vested interests. Though they have turned public spaces into private enclaves, club members believe in their inalienable right since they pay hefty membership fees. The larger community feels such clubs, encroaching on public land, can't be the exclusive domain of a select few. "These managements forget the land was leased, not bought. Unfortunately, so do the authorities," says Neera Punj of the NGO Citispace.

A closer look at the clubs under scrutiny reveals the notices are not entirely unwarranted. The clubs have lease agreements for a period of 30 to 60 years. Public land—often huge tracts like the Golf Club's 32,000 square metres—was given to trusts that run the clubs to ensure "betterment of sports activity". Patil has zeroed in on the terms and conditions of the lease agreements, which he believes are violated. These are: restricting public entry and use, discriminatory membership practices, non-payment of dues, non-submission of audited accounts and earning illegal revenue by letting out premises for weddings and parties. The managements have to respond by mid-December; failing proper explanation Patil threatens to take back the land.

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Home turf: MIG Club in Bandra is where Tendulkar first practised those drives

"Khar Gym charges Rs 15 lakh for membership. Non-members can't use any facility though it was a specific condition of the lease. Besides, the management is minting money by hiring out premises for weddings without paying a dime for tax—it owes over Rs 25 lakh per annum at the very least. It's nothing but a robbery of citizens' resources," fumes the silver-haired Anandini Thakoor of the Khar Residents Association. Interestingly, Thakoor is herself a member of the Khar Gym, but is campaigning for public welfare.

Mostly, members of these bastions of exclusivity are indignant at Patil's action. "Much effort and money has gone into making Otters (an elite club in Bandra) what it is, how can we allow anyone to enjoy the facilities free of cost," grumbles a well-known film director. The sentiment matches at mig Club, also in Bandra, known for being Sachin Tendulkar's earliest practice ground. Sachin is still a familiar sight there.

RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi calls Patil's action "a great charade" because though the authorities have seemingly roused into activity, they have targeted only the small fish. "There are large-scale violations in 10 clubs-gymkhanas in south and central Mumbai, their leases have long expired, but they remain exclusive islands of the rich and famous. When I asked the chief secretary about the hasty renewal of two leases to allow construction, he blamed the courts for inaction," he says. The two are the Royal Western India Turf Club, popularly known as the Mahalaxmi Race Course, and the Western India Football Association or the Cooperage ground near Nariman Point.

Public space turning into private enclaves has become controversial because space-starved and crush-fatigued Mumbaikars increasingly feel they are being robbed of these areas. Apart from the nine clubs now under the scanner, there are other revenue department plots unavailable to citizens. More chafingly, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) recently voted for an amendment that allows vacant parks, recreation grounds and playgrounds to be given to "a caretaker"—any private party—who has the right to develop it and build on 25 per cent of the land. This meant 287 BMC plots covering about 940 acres of land would have slipped out of the average Mumbaikar's grasp. Naturally, access to privately developed spaces would be limited, as with the clubs.

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Gym ’n more: Actor Ritesh Deshmukh (inset) is a member of the upmarket Khar Gymkhana

Citizens' campaigns, petitions and action forced the state government to step in last fortnight and stay the BMC amendment. Now, if citizens' groups and residents' associations do not apply to "adopt" a ground/park within a month of the BMC's putting it up for development, it could still be handed over to a caretaker. "At least, we have something, though it's not easy for citizens to act in such a short time," says Meher Rafat of the NGO Clean Air, who spent the last many weeks on the campaign against the amendment.

The current controversy has only skirted round a potentially explosive issue, should citizens groups decide to press forward—that of expired leases. Gandhi's relentless RTI queries have thrown up an embarrassingly long list of corporates, textile mills, five-star hotels, trusts and individuals who were leased land for 99 years by the British. "There are 1,200 such leases that have expired years ago that neither the government nor the BMC have renewed. Nor have they initiated action to get the land back," says Gandhi. The expired leases fetch the city a measly Rs 7 crore in rent, when at current rates it should have shovelled up at least Rs 8,300 crore, he adds.

Citizens' groups believe a start has been made with the private clubs and gymkhanas. If these conserves of the privileged can be brought to the negotiating table to renew their leases at reasonable rates and made to follow terms, the bigger battle can yet be won.

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