No ladies please

"No…associate member male or female or lady member is entitled to vote or attend the meeting,” states the Supplementary Note to the agenda for the 129th annual report of the hoary Ripon Club. As a result of this step-fatherly treatment handed out to Parsi women, it’s not surprising that of the Club’s 704 members only 10 (1.4%) are lady members and 81 are associate lady members (11.5%).
The Club was in the news recently when they did not renew the contract of their former caterer Tehmtan Dumasia and handed the catering to Jehan Irani Caterers.

Lounge of the Ripon Club Photo: Jasmine D. Driver

The Club has made a profit of Rs 21,090 (after providing Rs 1,20,000 for taxation) as against a deficit of Rs 2,21,773 during the financial year 2013-14, according to the report. However, since there is an income tax demand of Rs 1,90,167 for some assessment years (certain rectification orders are pending and tax calculations have not been received for some) the Club is following up on these pending matters.
During the extant year 24 new members were enrolled: 17 life members, one resident member and six associate lady members. Not a single new lady member joined the Club, while eight members resigned. Nine members passed away during the period April 2014 to March 2015.
The Club’s president is Sir Dinshaw Manockjee Petit, V Baronet, vice president Rohinton Dhalla with trustees Mehli Cama, Dhalla, Jehangir Chowna, Xerxes Dastur and Jimmy Pochkhanawalla. Dastur is chairman of the managing committee, with Hoshang Hodiwalla honorary secretary, Dorab Pavri honorary treasurer, and committee members Viraf Chiniwala, Berjes Shroff, Darab Talyarkhan, Zubin Dalal, Hormuz Mehta and Rustom Irani. Keki Daruwalla resigned as honorary secretary on September 30, 2015, while Maneck Bodhanwalla quit as committee member on December 5, 2014 as did Behram Sethna on December 10, 2014.
The report makes no mention of the eviction case filed by the landlord, the trustees of the N. M. Wadia Charities against the Club in the Small Causes Court in 2010.
The Club was ordered to pay Rs 5,70,757 to the Trust on October 29, 2012 and thereafter to pay a monthly rent of Rs 2,500 plus water charges and property tax. According to Club sources, the amount of Rs 5,70,757 was paid.