Kashmir Golf course, upgraded over the last five years, is now mired in a big controversy. The utterances by the Chief Secretary, Chairman of the Club, in press conferences and publicized meetings has given rise to doubts and ramified the plain and simple sports affair into accusations of hegemony and a narrative that links it with a more sinister agenda of political and ethnic divide of the small Kashmiri Muslim community. One comment on face book by a senior journalist, Peerzada Ashiq, is both alarming and instructive.
“After urban-rural divide, Kashmir-Gujjar Muslimbinary, now comes well-constructed new fault line, elite-ordinary. Opening ofthe Kashmir Golf Course to general public is not motivated by the fact thatlocals get entry into an elite space to bridge the gap. It is to push the classdivide deep into our psyche, to nudge narrative that elite kept ordinary undertheir shoes” If a discerning commentator like Mr Peerzada Ashiq views the wholeepisode like this, people in power would be well advised to take note.
Now why these discordant voices? These unfortunately emanatefrom the utterances of the highest functionary of the State Government. He seems to be to believe that by waiving themembership fee, golf becomes a peoples sport. It is really not so. Once oneelects to be a golfer, he has to learn the game, in golf parlance called’practice’. The fee per day for the instructor and the caddie is around Rs.500and that is if he picks up a local senior caddie, not a proper instructor. Thisgoes for at least 60 sessions. Expenses for a game each day adds up to another500.00 for the caddie and the golf balls. The equipment cost, one time, isaround Rs.50,000 including sports gear that is if he picks up the cheapest golfset. Also golfer needs a four wheeler to carry the golf set daily to and fromthe golf course. Surely an elementary reality check with any of the seniorcivil and police officers who are regular at the sport would have given thiswisdom to the State Government.
Now some history. The course came up during the colonialperiod around 1886 AD and is listed in golf literature as the second oldestgolf course outside UK. This course has in the past found mention in thetourism promotion literature in India Tourism campaigns as a heritage courseand the most favored tourist destination, especially in summers. The course isa valued intangible tourism asset and till its closure it has been attractinggolf enthusiasts all over the country who have been evocative and sentimental about the course as also its heritage value.
The land on which thecourse has been laid, 52 acres at present, was part of Maidan Maisuma thatextended up to Chinar Bagh which at that point in time was a favorite campingsite for English men, mostly British Army offices on vacation. Subsequently aformal Club was set up in about 1905 AD. This course was not accessible toKashmiris, elite and non elite, up to 1967 AD. It was a preserve of Punjabi merchants, theirfriends and occasional army officers. They had allowed 3-4 Kashmiris the playing rights. One of them had a guestfrom Delhi and he requested the club management to allow the guest entry whichwas denied. The matter came to the notice of the then chief Minister. He immediatelyordered takeover of the club and in 1967 Mr. Hindal Tyab Ji , a J&K cadreIAS officer was designated as Secretary.Among the first kashmiri members were a mix of senior Government officers and some members of business community likeMuhammad Amin, Ahmad Bakhshi. Mir Nasarullah and others. The first Chairman wasMr. P K Dave, IAS, an illustrious civil servant posted as Chief Secretary. Heand Tyab Ji laid down the foundation and the rules for managing the club including the criteria for admission ofmembers. Till then the club was known as Srinagar Golf Club and Mr. Daverenamed it as Kashmir Golf Club. No member of the so called elite has had anyhand in framing the admission rules. These rules were tailored on the Delhi andTolly Ganj Golf clubs.
This club, till it got the bear hug of the Governmentthrough J&K Bank, was the most democratic public institution whereelections were held regularly for the Secretary and the executive members. Thecommittee ran affairs of the club reasonably well even during the turbulentyears till 2015.
The Club was adopted by JK Bank under CSR and its upgradation was completed early 2018. Since then the State Government did notfind time to decide on its opening. Now when the Bank came under the scrutiny and gaze of present administration, theup gradation was misconstrued as wasteful expenditure and a pandering to the unspecified elite ofSrinagar. A common man versus elite debate was generated which initially seemed to be linked to the affairs of theBank , not the club.
Shah Faesal, the young politician has commented on Ashiqs’post that why he is protecting the domain of Khojas. Most of the members of theclub are senior and middle level civil and police officers. Also our Khojas have historically been the mostsports unfriendly class. They have never taken to any sport, not even thepeople’s sports like football and cricket. Yes, by its very nature of being apricey sport, only the affordable class among the business community have takento golf. Almost all of them are post 50s entrepreneurs from average businessfamilies, hardly any of them from theknown Khojas. They earned their money out of the newer openings in the economyand opportunities like the business men of rest of India. They have become richdue to both patronage and hard work. This happens in all growing economies.
Another comment has come from a middle level Governmentofficer who also felt that the course has been a preserve for few as he wasdenied membership for the last five years. This comment seems to be more tosecond the utterances of the Chairman than a genuine grievance. The course wasclosed for this period as it was under up gradation and therefore no newmembers were taken. It was only the restaurant where members met. Also thecondition precedent for a member is that he has to have learnt golf. He and anynew aspirants are better advised to learn the sport to qualify for member ship.
The purported decision to open the course membershipindiscriminately as reported in media will lead to spoiling a genuine and aprized sports and tourism asset. It will lead to crowding the course beyond itscarrying capacity. Also for reasons of lack of sporting skills andaffordability, the new entrants will be tempted to use only the non golfingfacilities that are otherwise an intrinsic part of golf clubs.
A word about the J&K Bank engagement. They haveconverted a semi natural course into a designer course requiring highmaintenance. This has been done without giving a thought to the ability of theclub to have resources for its maintenance. Now this is a fait accompli and thepresent management has to find ways to meet the maintenance cost. In thehistory of this club, all previous chairmen have contributed their bit toimprove on what has been handed down to them. The present chairman would be well advised to improve on its managementand the attendant facilities. This is a 120 year old asset of Kashmir and everyeffort should be made to preserve its heritage and its sportsvalue.
(The writer is former Director General Tourism J&K andformer Chairman National Monuments Authority, GoI)