Khar Gymkhana, one of Mumbai’s oldest clubs, has revoked the membership of Jemimah Rodrigues, a prominent batter for the Indian women’s cricket team. The decision came after some club members raised concerns about her father, Ivan, using the club facilities for “religious activities” and accused him of organizing events aimed at converting “vulnerable” individuals.
The cancellation of her membership was made during the club’s annual general body meeting on Sunday. Repeated attempts to reach Jemimah Rodrigues and her father for comments on the matter went unanswered.
Shiv Malhotra, a member of Khar Gymkhana’s managing committee, explained the reasoning behind the decision. He mentioned that they learned Ivan Rodrigues was associated with an organization known as Brother Manuel Ministries, which had booked the presidential hall for over a year and conducted around 35 events. Malhotra stated, “We are aware of the conversions happening across the nation, but this was occurring right under our noses.” He added that the events included music and dance, contrary to the gymkhana’s constitution, which prohibits any religious activity.
Nitin Gadekar, a former president of Khar Gymkhana, recounted how he became aware of the purported religious activities from a staff member. He, along with Malhotra and other members, investigated and found the hall filled with dim lighting, trance music, and a speaker proclaiming, “He is coming to save us.” Gadekar expressed his astonishment that such activities could take place at the gymkhana, leading to the collective decision to cancel Rodrigues’s membership.