Calcutta Club

Calcutta Club (Bengali: কলকাতা ক্লাব) is an elite social club located on Lower Circular Road in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India. It was established in 1907 and the first president of the club was the Maharajah of Cooch Behar, Sir Nripendra Narayan. The Prince of Wales, later King Edward VIII of Great Britain, was among the first royal guests to visit the club when he was invited to a lunch on 28 December 1921. First primer minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru visited the club in 1961.[1] The club always had distinguished members from every community - from Maharaja of Coochbehar to Maharaja of Burdwan, Maharaja of Darbhanga, Nawab Sir KGM Faroqui of Ratanpur to Bhupendra Nath Bose, President of the Indian National Congress. Internationally acclaimed artists like Gaganendranath Tagore and Abanindranath Tagore were regular visitors to the club, as was Oscar award-winning legendary film-maker Satyajit Ray, longest-serving chief minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu.[2] In 2007, 11th president of India Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam visited the club to launch the centenary scholarship fund.[3] Today Calcutta Club stands as an iconic landmark in Kolkata and represents the elite Bengal with rich history and culture.[4]

History

Although not the oldest private members club in the city, it is notable because it was formed at a time when the existing Bengal Club only admitted whites as members. Lord Minto, the Viceroy of India at the time, had wished to invite Sir Rajen Mookerjee to dine at the Bengal Club and, when the discriminatory policy was thus exposed, a decision was taken to form a club with a membership policy not dictated by race. The club had historically restricted membership to men. However, this was changed in 2007 and the club started admitting women members.[5] The club also has reviewed its child policy and has started admitting children above the age of twelve years of age at all times since very recently.

Calcutta Club, Kolkata

The Telegraph National Debate at Calcutta Club

The Telegraph National Debate at Calcutta Club brings Indian thought leaders and intellectuals from different and diversified arenas of political beliefs, opinions, and affiliations every year to discuss about the current issues in India.

Reciprocal clubs

Reciprocal clubs of the Calcutta Club include some of the notable prestigious social clubs in the world such as National Liberal Club, London, Oxford and Cambridge Club of the UK, and Raffles Town Club of Singapore.[11]

References
  1. https://www.calcuttaclub.org/#gallery-3
  2. "Basu listened, laughed and mildly flirted". DNA India.
  3. https://www.calcuttaclub.org/#gallery-4
  4. "Calcutta Club was formed by Indians to challenge the 'European' Bengal Club". Get Bengal.
  5. Sunder, Kalpana (12 September 2020). "At India's colonial-era clubs, allure of elite membership trumps archaic rules". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  6. https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/surprise-strike-on-surgical-strike/cid/1496946
  7. "Old India vs New plus Very Old India". www.telegraphindia.com.
  8. "Bludgeoned, Idea of India needs rescuing". www.telegraphindia.com.
  9. "National debate 2020 today". www.telegraphindia.com.
  10. "The Telegraph National Debate 2021: 'Blind to plight of migrant workers'". www.telegraphindia.com.
  11. "Resiprocal – Calcutta Club Ltd".
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