In Spectrum: Gymkhana: colonial origins and politics of selective outrage

The British did not establish clubs in colonial India merely for cricket, golf and other recreations. They formed part of the social architecture of colonial rule, providing civil and military officials with spaces to cultivate networks, consolidate solidarity and preserve racial distinctions. The exclusion of Indians from establishments reserved for Europeans reflected the belief that political domination conferred social superiority. This history deserves unequivocal condemnation. Yet condemning an institution’s colonial origins does not automatically invalidate its subsequent existence.…