Delhi Golf Club in row for ‘denying entry’ to woman in Khasi dress | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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Delhi Golf Club in row for ‘denying entry’ to woman in Khasi dress

New Delhi/Guwahati, Hindustan Times | BySweta Goswami and Rahul Karmakar
Jun 28, 2017 10:22 AM IST

The Delhi Golf Club has courted controversy for allegedly misbehaving with a Khasi governess working with an Abu Dhabi-based doctor from Assam and denying her entry to the club.

The Delhi Golf Club has courted controversy for allegedly misbehaving with a Khasi governess working with an Abu Dhabi-based doctor from Assam and denying her entry to the club.

Tailin Lyngdoh was denied entry. The club said it had nothing to do with her jainsem, a traditional Khasi dress.(Picture courtesy: Nivedita Barthakur/Facebook)
Tailin Lyngdoh was denied entry. The club said it had nothing to do with her jainsem, a traditional Khasi dress.(Picture courtesy: Nivedita Barthakur/Facebook)

The doctor, a guest who was at the club on Sunday, claimed the governess from Meghalaya was not allowed because she was wearing a jainsem, a traditional Khasi dress, and taken for a maid.

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The management of the elite club, while admitting an “etiquette problem with the particular staff”, denied the woman was refused entry because of her dress. It said governesses or other staff members are not allowed unless a guest is wheel-chair bound.

Read: Delhi Golf Club apologises for denying entry to Khasi woman, says ‘incident unfortunate’

The club said the staff concerned who did not behave properly will face disciplinary action. “Clearly, there was an etiquette problem with the particular staff that was handling the guest concerned. We accept they could have handled the situation differently and in a much better way,” said Rajiv Hora, secretary of the club.

Hora said the staff had been sent a show cause notice and disciplinary action would be taken against them.

Dr Nivedita Barthakur had alleged in a Facebook post that Tailin Lyngdoh, the governess, was denied entry to the club on Sunday around 1pm because of her attire despite being invited as a guest of a member. She said Lyngdoh has travelled across the world in the jainsem with her.

According to Barthakur, no one at the club stood up for Lyngdoh as gatekeepers allegedly humiliated her and did not care to apologise to her. Lyngdoh, who is from Mairang, has been working with Barthakur for 10 years.

“Today Tailin Lyngdoh, an extremely proud Khasi lady who has travelled the world in her jainsem from London to UAE was thrown out of the Delhi Golf Club because her dress was taken for a maid’s uniform! Despite she being invited in her own right as a guest of a member,” Barthakur said.

Barthakur dubbed it as an example of “North Indian bigotry, chauvinism and ignorance”.

She told HT, “She (Lyngdoh) was part of a group of nine, and we were guests of Pam Goyal Thimmaya, one of the longest standing members of the club. We were utterly humiliated. The room was full of people dripping in diamonds and pearls and no one stepped forward. After a while, rather than cause our 80-plus hostess any more grief, we left. She is taking it up with the management.”

Barthakur’s post evoked sharp reactions, ranging from ignorance about the northeast to racial profiling.

The management said the refusal had nothing to do with her dress. They said certain rules are followed at the club. For example, men and boys not allowed in the dining area in round neck T-shirts. Similarly, governesses are not allowed either until a guest is wheelchair-bound.

Hora said the management personally tried reaching out to Ms Barthakur to apologise. “But she is travelling and is on a flight. We have spoken to the member (Pam Goyal) whose guest she was. Ms Goyal has said its okay and that it was a misunderstanding,” he said.

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