Bombay Gymkhana members irked over upcoming event for Women's Day

A proposal to host a function at the Bombay Gymkhana club at Fort on the weekend before Womenrsquos Day has irked members for two reasons an event during the pandemic and the fact that it is a fashion show lsquoWith our very own ladies walking the ramprsquo read the poster announcing the recent audition for the March 6 eventInternational Womenrsquos Day is celebrated on March 8 annually but many events are held on weekends closest to the date The decision to hold the function at the SoBo venue has come in for fierce criticism and members are letting fly in online messages both to the committee and amongst themselvesAnger simmering withinSome online exchanges are a showcase to the anger simmering within Nandini Sardesai Sociology professor longtime club member and wellknown for making a case for gender parity within the club said she sent an email to the Managing Committee on February 13 and ldquoit has also been sent to at least 100 membersrdquoThe upscale club at Fort PicsSuresh KarkeraThe senior citizen has urged restraint and common sense Sardesai stated in her communiqueacute ldquoCaution has been thrown to the winds as if there were no pandemic No other club in Mumbai is doing any celebration Last year also when all clubs were gearing up for the lockdown and cancelled all events the Bombay Gym went ahead and had events for both Holi and Womens DayrdquoAnd if this Womenrsquos Day event has to happen she thinks it should in a more appropriate way by replacing the ramp walk with honouring women frontline workers She said ldquoThe day should be observed with sobriety especially after the suffering anguish and sorrow so many have endured in the past few months There are so many frontline women workers who should be gratefully acknowledged with sobriety and quietuderdquo The gender equality activist said that women should not be viewed as ldquoeye candyrdquoResponse rushSardesairsquos communication has invited a host of responses many of them supportive A writer and columnist has said this is ldquobeyond patheticrdquo A former club president has gone beyond the hosting of this event and expressed strong displeasure at the eight guests per member rule on regular days Other members too are peeved at the number of guests that leads to crowding as there is little space for members themselves and they are being crowded out ldquoIs the Bombay Gymkhana for members and families or mainly for guestsrdquo the former president has asked A wellknown activist at the forefront of saving open spaces has called the eightguest rule ldquoshockingrdquo and has also called out holding of ldquocrowded eventsrdquo slamming desperation and asking why we dont see ldquobetter senserdquoAnother member has endorsed the view about the nature of the womenrsquos celebration being jarring asking on email ldquoHow is parading women up and down a ramp a celebration of them It would have been much nicer for the club to felicitate frontline workersrdquoThe other sideBombay Gym president Aga Hussain said they have and will continue to follow all COVID19 protocols Responding to a question on the fashion show Hussain on Thursday told midday ldquoWe are constantly monitoring the scenario and will see even though we adhere to all guidelines if we want to scale down the event or do a rethink The club has a Social Activity Committee which deems what is appropriate and what is inappropriate This is then put to the Managing Committee that takes a call as to whether to go ahead There will always be people who are supportive and those who think otherwiserdquo Hussain added that a recent Valentines Day event at the club panned by members for the number of people and lack of physical distancing ldquohad everybody following guidelinesrdquoOn the eightguests rule he said ldquoWe allow eight guests on weekdays Monday to Thursday and four guests on weekends There is place for members Even as we speak I am on the clubrsquos balcony and there are three tables that are occupied I had lunch earlier at the bar and there was just me and a friend at one tablerdquo he finished