Even as individual turf clubs across India were preparing to deal with the havoc GST was likely to wreak on its betting operations, the Bangalore Turf Club’s administration shot itself in the foot last April just before the start of its summer racing season.

What started off as an innocuous incident — reflecting the internal strife and tussle within BTC’s corridors of power — snowballed into a political standoff between the club’s then chairman Harinder Shetty and other committee members.

However, the die for BTC’s imminent misery was cast when Shetty implored Karnataka’s Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to intervene and help him deal with everything starting from BTC’s officials’ alleged involvement with the doping and betting mafia, his colleagues violating the state government’s licensing conditions, wasting funds and misbehaving with race-horse owners and professionals.

The response triggered by Shetty’s letter was nothing but disastrous as BTC’s racing license was withheld to start with. In the midst of a CID investigation against the turf club, the racing license was restored conditionally after the new chairman Y Jagannath handed over a written assurance on BTC’s behalf to Siddaramaiah that the club will increase its membership by 150 and the government will have the right to nominate 50 new members.

Crossfire victims

Jagannath, to his horror, realised that he had overstepped his authority when committing the induction of 50 government nominated members. Jagannath and other committee members barring Shetty resigned at the Extra Ordinary General Meeting (EOGM) last September after sensing that the special resolution for accepting 150 new members was going to fail.

The disturbing news of BTC’s existing members’ turning down the government’s proposal to increase the membership got wide publicity through the print media and had a catastrophic effect as the Karnataka government brought all racing activities in Bengaluru to a complete standstill. Harsh as it was, the government’s action made little difference to the lives of 300 members who have no direct stake in horse-racing.

The real victims were those whose daily bread came from the smooth conduct of racing be it on-course or off-course. Two months have passed since this impasse began but neither the state government has softened its stand nor has the BTC’s elite shown any compassion towards the hapless victims.

Strangely, a majority of Bengaluru-based race-horse owners and professionals have remained aloof till now.

Radical steps

While the BTC has called another EOGM, on November 15, to consider giving membership to 50 government nominees, the hardliners among BTC members are adamant on defeating this proposal once again.

What’s disturbing though is the current BTC committee’s lack of commitment towards the special resolution as there is no visible lobbying to ensure its safe passage. Also, despite the EOGM’s outcome being obvious, the committee has no plan B to deal with the eventuality. It is also not forthcoming on whether the club will exercise any legal option or not.

Although any possibility of a compromise remains bleak, horse-racing can still survive provided the Siddaramaiah-led government revives the Karnataka Racing Board, which was formed in 1987 to take over horse-racing in the state.

This move will not only rescue BTC and horse-racing from the vice-like grip of vested interests, it will also help the sport turn a new leaf in Karnataka and, probably, the country as well.

By Usman Rangeela, Mumbai Mirror