No fairplay on DGC fairways

The hallowed portals of the Delhi Golf Club are resonating with shrill notes of dissent. A group of members is up against the club management for “concealing wrongs” and a campaign is on to “expose and rectify them”.

Central to the theme are the “irregularities” involving the enrolment and continuation of members under the Foreign Tenure and Non-Resident Indian (NRI) Tenure categories.

Senior members like Akash Lal, Surendra Prasad and V.N. Puri are spearheading the crusade. Lal, a former national cricket selector and Delhi and North Zone captain, said: “We have frauds masquerading as NRIs and they are denying genuine people, who have to wait for 25 years.”

In June, Lal wrote to Sanjiv Talwar, the captain, requesting for the list of members under the two categories and followed it with a reminder in July. In response, the club came up with three uncertified lists under covering letters (they are in HT’s possession), each different from the other.

An examination of the lists reveals that, against club rules, certain members have been enjoying privileges without renewal for periods between eight to 22 years. Another letter (dated August 12) sought clarification on how “65 members were continuing beyond the permissible period”. Also, “certified copies of pages of the Register of Members, certified copies of the document establishing the applicant to be a NRI or Foreign Tenure member and certified copies of the minutes of the meetings approving their membership and the extensions granted to them”, were sought.

After a month’s silence, the club informed Lal that he wasn’t entitled to certified copies of original documents as “this did not fall under the purview of the Companies Act, 1956”, but only “extracts of the Register”. As the period pertained to 1986 onwards, time was sought in view of the club elections on Sept. 19. More than three months have lapsed, there is radio silence.

As per DGC’s Memorandum and Articles of Association, “Diplomats, members of foreign missions, executives of foreign companies and businessmen, who are not nationals of India, and who hold a foreign passport shall be elected as Tenure Members for a period of 3/2/1 years, extendable for a further period up to three years on payment of entrance and other club charges as per the bye-laws”. Likewise, “A NRI shall be a person holding an Indian passport, who is not a resident of India, i.e. does not spend more than 180 days in India in any given financial year provided that: the person, as an NRI, has not resumed residence in India again….shall be elected for a period of 3/2/1 years extendable for up to 3 years…”.

When contacted for a reaction, Rajiv Hora, DGC secretary, said he was busy with a function in the club and promised to speak the next day. On Sunday, repeated calls to his cell phone evoked no response. Following this, an email was sent late that night but it has remained unanswered.