Govt move to hand over Wilson College Gymkhana to Jain Organisation meets opposition from students

Sudhakar Solomonraj, member of the committee in-charge of the alumni association of the college, said, “All other gymkhana facilities on Marine Drive are gated communities and are possibly catering to the elites of the society. Wilson Gymkhana was the only place in the locality which was open for all. In the public meeting on Sunday, members will explore various options available, including legal aspects to contest the decision.”

The state cabinet on Saturday approved a 1.02 lakh square feet plot on the land for gymkhana for Jain community by handing it over to the Jain International Organisation on 30-year lease. “This was originally Wilson College Gymkhana since 1913 to host sports events for students, apart from events for the local community. But the lease was unfortunately not renewed in the year 2013 and students stopped getting any access to it from 2014, after which it was opened to commercial events,” told Solomonraj, a retired professor from the Wilson College and was also Vice President of the gymkhana, when it held events for students.

The administration of the college has allowed permission to hold the public meeting on campus. Principal of the College Dr. Anna Pratima Nikalje, said the issue has been under litigation for a while, and there have been some issues in the process of renewal of the lease. “But the government has taken the decision without giving any notice about it. The gymkhana is not only a heritage structure but also holds sentimental values for our alumni which include names of dignitaries such as Freedom fighter – Usha Mehta and Morarji Desai – fourth prime minister of India among all,” she said.

One of the former students of the college, a senior journalist, Sudeep Sonawane, who played cricket and chess for the Wilson College in the 70s, went down the memory lane. “The gymkhana had a typical British era charm about it. The cool draft of wind from the Arabian Sea helped fast-paced ballers like me. It was like a dream come true for me, a boy from Aarey colony of suburban Mumbai to play on that ground,” said Sonawane, adding that he is in solidarity with the cause of Alumni Association to save the Gymkhana.

The United Church of Northern India Trust Association, which owns and manages the properties of the Church of North India which runs the Christian minority institutions, under the John Wilson Education Society, refused to comment on the issue. Managing Director, Sanjay Singh said the association has decided to refrain from commenting in absence of having anything in writing from the government.” The Jain International Organisation could not be reached for comment.

Cyril Dara, secretary of the Christian Reform United People Association (CRUPA) who brought this issue into the notice, said, “We are planning to move ahead legally to protect the students’ gymkhana and also demanding stringent actions against the people involved in commercial exploitation of the land. Sports has no religion and it should be maintained.”