India, May 24 -- The Union government has ordered Delhi Gymkhana Club, operating on government land, to hand over its entire premises by June 5, 2026. The order draws the curtains on the club's more than century-old tale of colonial decadence, post-colonial privilege and an ever-present social and cultural apartheid.

Not to forget the club's long list of alleged financial irregularities, tax evasion & opaque management, inviting legal wrath from several courts or tribunals from time to time.

Thus, the government's order has ignited several debates around elitism, urban land-use, national security as well as de-colonisation.

The order states how the club's premises, "located in a highly sensitive and strategic area of Delhi, is critical...