Khasi attire row: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes issues notice to Delhi Golf Club for ‘discrimination’

The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes has on Friday issued a notice to Delhi Golf Club on a complaint of “discrimination” against Northeast woman in Khasi attire row.

The Club has been given seven-day time to reply and if failed to do so its office bearers may be summoned before the commission.

The Commission has issued a notice on the representation received from Chairperson, Meghalaya State Commission for Women and Civil Society of Assam. The Commission has also decided to investigate/ inquire into the matter in pursuance of the powers conferred upon it under Article 338A of the Constitution of India.

The "racial" incident took place on June 25 when a woman from Meghalaya was kicked out of Delhi Golf Club for wearing traditional attire. Tailin Lyngdoh, who was a guest of P Thimmayya Goel, a long-time member of the club, was asked to leave by authorities as her traditional Khasi dress Jenseim ‘looked like the attire of a maid’. 

MoS Kiren Rijiju, who also hails from the Northeast region has also condemned the incident and said, It was a clear case of racial discrimination. Such an elitist mindset of some people will destroy the social fabric of the country,"

Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has also sought legal action against Delhi Golf Club, whose staffers asked a woman from Meghalaya to leave a dining room because her traditional Khasi attire looked like a "maid's uniform".