Wilson College staff and students gathered in Mumbai as the JIO signboard was removed from the contested Gymkhana ground amid an ongoing legal dispute
Wilson Gymkhana Grounds Handover Issue Remains in Court
The handover of Wilson Gymkhana grounds to the Jain International Organisation (JIO) is still in court. Therefore, the organisation does not have rights over it yet.
In a show of solidarity, senior staff, teachers, and students of Wilson College gathered at the open space opposite Marine Drive. This occurred months after the contested Wilson College Gymkhana ground was handed over to JIO. The state government controversially leased this plot to JIO for 30 years in 2024.
Wilson College authorities filed a civil writ petition in the Bombay High Court to contest this decision. Dr. Jamson Masih, principal-in-charge of Wilson College, stated, “We are told that the matter is sub judice. In fact, we are expecting a hearing tomorrow [Tuesday], and are hoping for a fair decision. This matter had us visiting the police station in late December, when we were supposed to be celebrating Christmas.”
Members of JIO told mid-day, “Our group has been paying the lease for the plot for the past two years already. We have all the documents required to prove ownership of the land lease. We intend to use our gymkhana for sporting activities, for the benefit of Mumbai schools that lack a ground to conduct annual day functions. We are also looking at conducting Jain cricket tournaments, in line with the spirit of the gymkhana.”
Prof. Ratnakar Shetty, connected with Wilson Gymkhana for over three decades, said, “Until these controversies arose, the Wilson Gymkhana was in consistent use for practising sports like football, hockey, and cricket by students and civilians. Even during the World Wars, the gymkhana continued to be used for sports. The onus lies equally with the management, since the gymkhana was rented out for commercial activities and not maintained properly. However, Wilson Gymkhana was meant for student welfare and did not charge memberships like others.”
Teachers at Wilson College, founded in 1832, are concerned about losing the gymkhana. They believe handing it over contradicts the New Education Policy launched by the same government. A veteran teacher stated, “I have been with the college for the past 30 years. It’s not fair to snatch the ground from students, especially when it was given to them in the first place.” Another teacher noted that the gymkhana was always available to Girgaonkars for free sports practice.
Wilson students present at the gymkhana expressed that losing a sports arena would have negative effects. A 19-year-old said, “I used to be an avid football player before I moved to Mumbai, but now I cannot play. You need sports as an outlet to clear your head. I’ve now started gaining weight because there are limited spaces to play sports.”
Lal Bahadur Kamble, managing director of United Church of North Indian Trust Association and secretary of the John Wilson Education Society, stated, “There have been no defaults while paying the lease rents. During the transfer, we were told that the gymkhana should not have been given out for commercial use. We submitted all the challans to the state, too. While the gymkhana grounds lay unused during the pandemic, we resumed all activities later and even levelled the land in 2025.” Mid-day reached out to the resident deputy collector’s office but did not receive a response by press time.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2024 | State government leased Wilson Gymkhana grounds to JIO for 30 years. |
| Late December | College authorities visited police station regarding the gymkhana. |
| 2025 | Activities resumed and land levelled after pandemic. |
