50 Military Veterans Seek PM Modi’s Intervention to Save Delhi Gymkhana Club

New Delhi: Fifty retired officers from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Indian Navy who are members of the Delhi Gymkhana Club have appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to personally intervene against the proposed closure of the historic institution, arguing that the move would severely affect veterans and retired public servants who rely on the club as a social and emotional support system.

In a letter dated July 8, 2026, the former officers asked the Prime Minister to direct the concerned ministry to reconsider the decision to terminate the club’s perpetual lease, examine “constructive alternatives,” and ensure that any final outcome balances public interest with the welfare of those who have spent their working lives in national service. All 50 signatories are members of the Delhi Gymkhana Club.

Veterans seek reconsideration and a personal hearing

The veterans said their appeal was being made with “the deepest respect and utmost faith” in the Prime Minister’s leadership. At the same time, they made clear that they were not challenging the government’s authority to reclaim public land where required for genuine public purposes or national security, nor were they seeking to interfere with the judicial process already underway.

Instead, they urged that before any irreversible action is taken, the concerns of thousands of veterans and retired public servants linked to the club should be heard. In their letter, the officers described the Delhi Gymkhana Club as an “invaluable support network” and warned that shutting it down would have “profound human consequences” for a community that had already given its best years to the country.

The group has also requested a brief meeting of 15 to 20 minutes with the Prime Minister so they can place their concerns and possible alternatives before him directly.

According to the signatories, the club today serves a purpose far beyond recreation. They called it a “unique part of India’s institutional heritage” that, over the decades after Independence, has become a meeting ground for soldiers, civil servants, diplomats, judges, academics, sportspersons and other distinguished citizens. For many elderly members, especially those in their 70s and 80s, the club is described as a source of physical well-being, emotional resilience and mental-health support. The letter points in particular to members who have lost spouses or live alone after their children have moved away.

One retired Army officer among the signatories, who held key appointments during service, told news agencies that the institution carries deeply personal meaning for many veterans. He said he chose to celebrate his 75th birthday at the Gymkhana rather than at a five-star hotel because of its preserved heritage, old buildings and manicured lawns.

How the dispute began

The present dispute began with a May 22, 2026 order issued by the Land and Development Office (L&DO) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. The order terminated the club’s perpetual lease, which dates back to 1928, and directed the institution to hand over vacant possession of its 27.3-acre premises at 2, Safdarjung Road in Lutyens’ Delhi.

The government has justified the move by citing the need for “strengthening and securing defence infrastructure” and other vital public security purposes. The land’s location, close to the Prime Minister’s official residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, has been presented as a key reason for the proposed repossession.

Authorities have also referred to alleged unpaid ground rent dues of about ₹47.58 crore. The amount became contentious after a long-standing nominal rent, originating in the colonial period, was revised sharply upwards in recent years.

The matter escalated further on June 29, when the L&DO issued a show-cause notice under the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act. The notice asked the club and its occupants to explain why an eviction order should not be passed.

Challenge in the Delhi High Court

The Delhi Gymkhana Club, some of its members including Vijay Khurana, and the staff welfare association have challenged both the lease termination and the show-cause notice in the Delhi High Court. Their case is that the action is arbitrary and that due process was not followed.

The High Court has not stayed the proceedings. It has, however, recorded the Centre’s assurance that possession of the property would be taken only in accordance with law. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for September 3, 2026. Proceedings before the Estate Officer have also been adjourned to align with the High Court’s timeline.

A century-old institution in Lutyens’ Delhi

The Delhi Gymkhana Club traces its origins to July 3, 1913, when it was established as the Imperial Delhi Gymkhana Club under British rule. It was initially intended mainly for colonial administrators and military officers. After Independence in 1947, the word “Imperial” was dropped, and the institution gradually evolved into a distinctly Indian one.

Its white colonial-era building, surrounded by carefully maintained lawns, is a recognised landmark in Lutyens’ Delhi. The design is associated in part with architect Robert Tor Russell, who is also linked with Connaught Place and Teen Murti House.

The club has long had a reputation for highly selective membership, with waiting periods often running from 20 to 30 years. Over time, its membership has included serving and retired armed forces officers, senior civil servants, diplomats and professionals.

Its facilities include numerous grass and clay tennis courts, swimming pools, squash and other courts, a library, dining rooms and social spaces. The tennis courts are historically associated with events including India’s 1966 Davis Cup victory. For many long-time members, especially veterans who spent decades in service and frequent postings before retirement, the club functions not simply as an elite social address but as a dependable routine and a place of friendship and continuity.

Impact on employees and the wider debate

The uncertainty over the club’s future has also affected around 700 permanent and contractual employees. Many are from middle- and lower-middle-income families and have worked at the institution for more than a decade.

The Delhi Gymkhana Workers’ Association has sought clarity on job security, compensation, severance and the possibility of alternative employment if the club is forced to shut. Staff concerns have also been sharpened by recent extensions in the terms of certain government-appointed committee members, which have raised further questions about the status and direction of the eviction process.

The row has widened into a larger public argument over land use, security and the future of old elite institutions in the capital. Supporters of the government’s action see it as a legitimate exercise of state authority to recover public land for national security and broader public purposes. Critics of such clubs have argued that exclusive colonial-era institutions represent older structures of privilege.

Those defending the Delhi Gymkhana Club, including the retired officers now appealing to the Prime Minister, argue that the institution’s post-Independence character should not be overlooked. They say it has become a place that serves people who have served the Republic, while also carrying sporting and heritage value. Their central argument is not for exemption from public policy, but for an approach that considers alternatives and does not ignore the human consequences for veterans, retired officials and employees.

No public response yet

As of mid-August 2026, there has been no public response from the Prime Minister’s Office or the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs specifically to the veterans’ July 8 letter. The legal battle is continuing, with the next substantive hearing due in early September.

The appeal by the 50 retired officers has brought into focus a familiar tension in New Delhi: the state’s strategic and public-interest claims over prime land on one side, and on the other the institutional memory, heritage and personal dependence attached to long-standing spaces used by those who spent their careers in public and military service. For now, whether the issue moves towards a review of options, a direct dialogue with the government, or remains confined to the courts is still unclear.