Club us with them, legislators not untouchables

AA club is at the centre of society. As a citizen of the country, elected representative, I can go to clubs to meet people and understand their problems. Why do other people go there? To relax obviously. There are clubs for almost every profession.  But there is no such club for MLAs. When almost every second person becomes a member of a club, why is there such a hue and cry if an MLA becomes a member of one?

A massive point of contention is the dress code. Our traditional attire is not allowed in certain clubs, not only in Karnataka but all over India. This has been the practice for over 70 years, ever since India got her Independence.  These rules ,which say one has to wear a suit or a tie or shirts with collars to gain entry into certain clubs, were made when India was still a slave to the British. If a person goes in a dhoti, he is not allowed.

This dress code is unacceptable — Traditional clothing should be permitted everywhere. If the club is holding a certain themed programme, then it is okay as it is only a matter of a few hours.  But there should not be any hard and fast rule saying the club will not allow you inside if you dress in a certain way. Will we wear our traditional attire in London? Obviously not. But we will wear it here at home.

I agree we need to work to provide playgrounds for children, reclaim encroached land and so on, but the club issue is different. It is a social place where elected representatives can go , meet the public and understand their problems.
However, an MP, MLA or MLC can only have membership of two clubs and only if they are located in his/her constituency.

We have asked the government to provide clubs in all taluk headquarters. This will give common people the opportunity to play games, enjoy themselves and at the same time interact with other people and forge new friendships. This is what a club is all about.  We have also proposed a club in every new township or layout of 25 acres and above.  We are  pushing for this to be included in the town and country planning Bill too. But if illegal activity is done at a club then I am totally against it.

The committee, which studied clubs in Bengaluru and  New Delhi , identified some which do not come under any government regulation and are not registered officially anywhere either. We have spoken of this in our report. We have also clearly mentioned  that no gambling or betting should be allowed in clubs. 

We found that many clubs were allowing their patrons to play cards for money and also indulge in betting. We see so many people, who gamble, lose money and then commit suicide. This is a problem right up there  with the farmers’ suicides. We want to prevent this and regulate clubs.  Therefore we have requested the government to bring in a bill.

The other issue is of clubs charging exorbitant amounts these days. They have waiting periods running into years and a membership fee of a few lakhs. How can an ordinary person become a member of such clubs this way and why should membership be given only to the elite? Our main objective is to democratise clubs.

There is a lot of opposition to the  Karnataka Regulation of Entry to Public Places and Regulation of Clubs Bill, 2016. But those opposing it must understand that a club is not going to run after them, begging them to become its members. If they want to become a member they can  and if they don't, it doesn’t matter.
Club membership is an option that the elected representative can choose to opt for or avoid altogether!

The writer is the MLA from Shanthinagar and the leader of the  Joint Legislature House Committee