Khar Gymkhana Cancels Jemimah Rodrigues Membership Due to Father's Religious Activities

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Khar Gymkhana, one of Mumbai's oldest and most prestigious clubs, has revoked the honorary membership of Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues due to her father's involvement in religious activities on the club premises.

The decision was made during the club's annual general meeting on October 20, 2024, after several members raised concerns regarding Ivan Rodrigues, Jemimah's father, reportedly organizing events aimed at religious conversions.

According to Khar Gymkhana's president Vivek Devnani, "The honorary three-year membership given to Ms. Jemimah Rodrigues was revoked pursuant to a resolution passed by the members who attended the general meeting."

The controversy began when it was revealed that Ivan Rodrigues, who is associated with Brother Manuel Ministries, had booked the club's presidential hall for a series of events over a span of nearly a year and a half. A total of 35 religious gatherings were held during this period, which reportedly violated the club's bylaws.

Shiv Malhotra, a member of Khar Gymkhana's managing committee, explained, "We came to know that Jemimah Rodrigues's father was attached to an organisation called Brother Manuel Ministries. They booked the presidential hall for almost a year and a half and held 35 events. We all know what was happening there."

The events in question included dancing, the use of large screens, and music equipment, which some members claimed were part of religious conversion efforts. Malhotra added, "We hear about conversions all over the country, but it's happening right under our nose. As per Khar Gymkhana's bye-laws Rule 4A of the constitution, Khar Gymkhana does not permit any religious activity."

Former club president Nitin Gadekar echoed these sentiments, stating that a staff member had alerted him to the gatherings. After witnessing one of the events, Gadekar said, "I was surprised how Gymkhana can allow this in the first place. We protested, and it was decided to cancel her membership."

Despite multiple attempts to contact Jemimah Rodrigues and her father for their comments, they have not responded publicly to the decision. Jemimah, who was invited to join the club in 2023, remains one of the leading figures in Indian women's cricket, having recently competed in the 2024 ICC Women's T20 World Cup, where India exited during the group stage.