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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Penelope MacRae in New Delhi

One of India’s most exclusive private clubs is facing eviction. What’s behind the fight that has upset Delhi’s elite?

The exterior of the Delhi Gymkhana Club
India’s ministry of housing and urban affairs has directed the Delhi Gymkhana Club to hand over its sprawling site in the heart of New Delhi by 5 June, citing urgent public interest requirements. Photograph: Hindustan Times/Getty Images

Narendra Modi’s government has ordered one of India’s most exclusive private clubs, the Delhi Gymkhana Club, to vacate its sprawling premises – the latest move against institutions seen as symbols of Delhi’s old world establishment.

The club has long been synonymous with India’s upper echelons, although before Independence in 1947 it was largely a preserve of the British colonial elite, admitting only a select few Indians.

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