Wilson College Gymkhana supporters gather for andolan; hope Marine Drive ground is open and accessible to all after ground is given to Jain organisation
Poster power at the ‘Save Wilson andolan’ at Azad Maidan on Monday. PICS/ASHISH RAJE
In March 2024, the state government allocated land to the Jain International Organisation (JIO) on a 30-year lease. This land was on a plot housing Wilson College Gymkhana, established in 1832 on Marine Drive. Our report at that time quoted sources as saying that the gymkhana lease had expired and some mismanagement had led to the lease not being renewed.
Two years...
Now, nearly two years later, there has been court action and sporadic protests by those against the gymkhana being given away. There was a protest at Azad Maidan, SoBo, on Monday afternoon.
The closed gymkhana on Marine Drive
The protest was to: ‘Save Wilson College Gymkhana for Students, Sports and Citizens’. Banners announcing the andolan and speaking for the earlier management also said, ‘We want Wilson College Gymkhana Back’.
The numbers
The protesters were sizable in number. Some had arrived from Christ Church Deolali Camp, Nashik. “We are following the controversy. In a global world, Nashik does not seem far away. This ground must go back to the Wilson College Management,” said Sanjay P, Rajesh G, and Shavel U.
Posters outside the gymkhana
There were several ‘Girgaonkars’ at the protest, with many being lauded for being the motivators and leaders of the Azad Maidan event. Milind V and Vignesh S of Aamhi Girgaonkar — an organisation working for the rights of Girgaonkars — said, “Some of our children are Wilson College ex-students. This ground should be open to all. We see barricades on the ground today and there are bouncers stationed at the entrance to stop people from accessing the ground.” “If the ground was being given for commercial activities like marriages or functions at night... the gymkhana needs to raise money for revenue,” said the Aamhi Girgaonkar representatives.
A request
Advocate Cyril Dara, andolan convener, said as he climbed onto the dais and took the mike, addressing an audience that had filled all the chairs, “We want the Wilson College Gymkhana back. In 2024, the government released a GR giving the ground to JIO. If anybody has broken rules or there have been violations, punish the violators, but one cannot take away the gymkhana.”
Advocate Cyril Dara, protest convener
The advocate added, “I did file a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), but the court dismissed it, stating that there were already two PILs on the same subject. While the takeover happened in 2024, we did not see any movement on the ground for nearly two years. Now, we see the barricades, etc. People are questioning why we did not protest earlier, but we are doing so now. This is not a religious protest. This is a request to the state government to return the gymkhana.”
A prayer
Reverend Philip Varra from Nashik was the next speaker. He stated that the gymkhana was looked after by the Wilson management, like a mother looks after a child. “We have a right to this gymkhana. This criticism of the giving away of the gymkhana is accompanied by prayer. We all need to come together for this effort,” he stated before telling the crowd that they should now chant slogans like: ‘Nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi, sarkar ki dadagiri nahi chalegi’.
Sports day
Attendee Geeta O said, “My daughter attended Wilson College, and she has so many memories about this ground. The lease renewal process for the ground should have started the day it expired or a little beforehand as expiry loomed.” Current Wilson College faculty Kshama Jayaraj and students said, “Every educational facility needs a ground. We used to have our sports day here. Now, we have to hire grounds for our sports day.”
Due process
As the andolan gathered momentum, Wilson College principal in charge Dr (PhD) Jamson Masih was also on site. Dr Masih, who was a chemistry professor at the college since 2011 and has taken over as principal for the past two years, said, “There was a fire in one of the structures on the ground in 2015. After that, we did have some restrictions. Yet, a couple of sports were being played there, except during COVID time. We are protesting that the handover happened without due process and with no intimation to the college. Even when one has to vacate a home, there is a certain system/process to be followed. The matter is in court now,” he concluded as Wilson supporters flourished banners with fervour.
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