10 August 2024
Auroville Calls for Independent Investigation Amidst Unfounded Allegations
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AUROVILLE, TAMIL NADU, [DATE] — The Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly of the Auroville Foundation expresses deep concern over recent misleading statements circulating in media reports. These statements and allegations, based on recent answers by the Ministry of Education to two sets of questions in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha, have mischaracterized our community and diverted attention from critical issues facing the township.
We, as the official representatives of the Residents’ Assembly of the Auroville Foundation as per Section 20 of the Auroville Foundation Act, 1988, categorically refute the sweeping allegations recently published in various media outlets, following questions raised in the Parliament of India by MP Shri Ravi Kumar and by MP Shri CV Shanmugam. These allegations are not only unsubstantiated but also serve to obscure the pressing issue of questionable land exchanges conducted by the current Auroville Foundation administration and Governing Board, appointed by the Ministry of Education in 2021.
The critical issue at hand is the series of highly questionable land exchanges conducted in the last 2 years by the current Auroville Foundation administration without due process, proper consultation or transparency. These exchanges, which involve trading high-value lands for those of much lesser value, have resulted in a financial loss of approximately 200 crore rupees (about 24 million USD) for Auroville.
It is deeply concerning that the Ministry of Education has instructed the Auroville Foundation to conduct an internal investigation into these questionable land exchanges, when it is this very administration that is responsible for the said land exchanges. This is a gross violation of natural justice.
Regarding the allegations:
No evidence has been presented to support claims of widespread illegal activities even after multiple audits have been carried out.
The Residents’ Assembly submitted a report to the Governing Board in January 2020 addressing these allegations, which were made by a single disgruntled individual. This report with a background note was also submitted to the Ministry of Education in July 2023.
Other allegations have been fabricated to target residents who have questioned recent actions by the AVF administration (such as dubious land exchanges and an aggressive take over of Auroville’s self-organization), and have not been proven.
As of now, all allegations of misconduct against Auroville Residents have been opaque and biased, as they are presented without any supporting evidence and offer no opportunity to those targeted to respond, which is in complete violation of basic principles of natural justice.
We remain open to a fair and transparent investigation.
We call for:
An independent external investigation into recent land exchanges
Full transparency in all future land transactions
Adherence to established statutes and processes as per the Auroville Foundation Rules (1997), the General Financial Rules 2017
The involvement of the Residents’ Assembly and its established committees
We urge that an independent investigative body is appointed at the earliest to examine the land exchange discrepancies. We invite constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to address any legitimate concerns and to ensure Auroville can continue its mission unimpeded
Background information
Auroville, founded in 1968, is an international township dedicated to human unity and a world-leading example in sustainable living. Our community of over 3,000 residents from more than 60 countries has been working tirelessly to realize this vision for over five decades. Auroville is recognized by UNESCO and the Government of India for its unique contribution to human progress. However, since 2021, a new administration of the Auroville Foundation (AVF) has been systematically undermining these decades of work through authoritarian measures and arbitrary coercion.
For more information on Auroville, please visit this page.
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