Summary of the current crisis
Part 2
Responses from a Resilient Community
Last update: 15th March 2025
The current crisis has tested Aurovilians to their very core, subjecting the Auroville project to unparalleled risks. Yet, it has simultaneously carved out a chance for transformation, allowing the reiteration of Auroville’s purpose and its profound values.
This note seeks to ponder upon how residents have exhibited resilience and ingenuity in the face of daunting challenges, enabling them to persist in advancing the city in alignment with its original Charter and vision. While this endeavor remains considerably distant from perfection and the situation grows increasingly worrisome, it is equally crucial to acknowledge and celebrate the courageous strides undertaken by the Auroville community amidst the turmoil.
Important
This page may not make much sense if you haven’t read the first part of the summary of the current crisis, dedicated to the question: What Is Currently Under Threat?
Since the appointement of a new Secretary to the Auroville Foundation in 2021, Auroville has progressively been plunged into what is probably its biggest crisis since its inauguration. All that has been achieved and embodied in 50+ years of Auroville’s existence, all that Auroville stands for, is currently at risk. We invite you to read more by clicking the button below.
(This video was prepared in December 2022, over a year after the forcible takeover and bulldozing of Auroville had started.)
Responses from a Resilient Community
Upholding Residents' Voices
Global Support & International Advocacy
‘Dreamweaving’ - Bridging Diversities
Fostering a Sense of Community
Safeguarding Auroville’s Ecology & Spaces
Nurturing Dialogue & Maintaining Resilience
Upholding Residents’ Voices
& Democratic Processes
In response to the repeated instances in which the Residents’ Assembly had been bypassed and its voice discarded, representatives of the community approached the Madras High Court. A judgement was issued on 12th August 2022, and emphasised the importance of mutuality and collaboration in the functioning of the Auroville Foundation. As such, the ruling upheld the role of the Residents’ Assembly in the functioning of Auroville. The role of the Residents’ Assembly was also upheld in other judgements, such as the 15th March 2024 ruling by the Madras High Court.
To face the forcible takeover of their public relations outlet, Outreach Media, and consequently, the increase of fake news and fallacious statements in the media, the residents of Auroville have created a new public relations service called “Auroville Media Liaison”, which functions under the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly.
The community continues to seek legal recognition for its rightful voice in Auroville’s governance. A significant development came in February 2025, when the High Court agreed to hear the community’s appeal regarding their right to select their own Working Committee representatives – a fundamental aspect of participatory governance guaranteed in the Auroville Foundation Act. This case represents the community’s ongoing struggle to protect their statutory right to self-determination against administrative overreach.
When faced with arbitrary dismissals of long-standing executives and concerning asset mismanagement, resident representatives took action in September 2024 by sending a formal legal notice to AVFO appointees, demanding they cease actions that violate established community processes. For nearly four years, the community has demonstrated its refusal to remain silent when its collective voice and processes are undermined.
Achieving New Milestones
Over the years, the number of residents who have involved themselves in the collective decision-making processes of Auroville has been around 15% of the total adult population, equivalent to approximately 350 residents. With Auroville’s recent developments, this number has increased, and in 2022, Residents’ Assembly voting process gathered 1200 Aurovilians, nearly quadrupling the usual number of participants. Up to 97% of the voters who participated in 2022’s decision-making events have denounced the AVFO’s actions and ways of functioning, expressing an almost unanimous voice on the recent takeover of Auroville.
In 2022, the local Tamil community has also raised its voice and organised an important meeting – held in Tamil and translated in English – to uphold the role and function of the Residents’ Assembly, with over 600 residents attending. Significant milestones in terms of community participation have been achieved, providing encouraging signs for Auroville’s future.
Community participation remains strong despite increasing pressures. In June 2024, 98% of 945 residents voted to halt, review, and reverse questionable land deals undertaken by the Secretary. In February 2025, over 700 residents signed a petition in just 48 hours urging the AVFO to protect Auroville land at Evergreen community from encroachment.
A Global Call for Resolution
& International Advocacy
In January 2025, the Auroville Global Fellowship (AGF) – a network of over fifty international experts and supporters – released a comprehensive 64-page report titled “Auroville in Crisis & The Way Forward” after seven months of extensive research. Drawing from over 2,000 pages of documentation, this landmark analysis details the extent of the crisis and offers a practical roadmap to resolution.
The report identifies systematic violations in six key areas: governance, financial management, planning and development, communications, safety and security, and impact on local communities. It documents concerning financial losses through opaque land exchanges (estimated at 240 crore rupees or US$28 million), environmental destruction, and the dismantling of Auroville’s participatory governance structure.
The report presents three essential outcomes for Auroville’s positive future:
- Restoration of operational balance among the three statutory bodies of the Auroville Foundation
- A collaborative updating of the Master Plan responsive to current realities
- Implementation of a self-governance assessment and action plan led by the Residents’ Assembly
The Auroville International Board has consistently stood with the community, publishing multiple statements over the past three years. Their September 2024 letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay is just one example, detailing the concerning developments undermining Auroville’s founding principles. Similarly, members of Auroville’s International Advisory Council have repeatedly raised alarms about governance issues. In one striking example, three IAC members submitted an urgent communication to the Governing Board in September 2024 regarding questionable land exchanges, revealing an estimated loss of 247 crore rupees (almost 30 million USD) against market value. This global network of support demonstrates that Auroville’s crisis is being closely monitored by an engaged international community whose advocacy plays a crucial role in protecting Auroville’s vision on the world stage.
‘Dreamweaving’ - Bridging Diversities
In early 2022, 70 Aurovilians took part in an unprecedented collective visioning experiment: “Dreamweaving the Auroville Crown”. With the goal of envisioning a conscious and ecological development of the Crown way, these architects, town planners, multidisciplinary experts, focus groups, and randomly selected residents came together to advance Auroville’s collaborative urban design process. The Dreamweaving process has been praised by many experts, including the esteemed late BV Doshi, the Pritzker prize-winning architect and former Governing Board member, as an innovative way forward to co-create sustainable and functional plans. Auroville residents and many others see Dreamweaving as a positive and constructive solution during a time of conflict, a participatory process to evolve Auroville’s development.
In March 2023, duly selected representatives of the Residents’ Assembly proposed participative processes to underpin the ‘Detailed Development Plans’ required for city development, drawing from Auroville’s experience with the Dreamweaving. Since then, preliminary meetings with different stakeholders have taken place, but the process was again blocked by the AVFO and their allies. Residents and their representatives remain committed to developing the city of Auroville in a participative and sustainable way, based on and further nurturing the ideals of Auroville, despite the current administration’s rejection of community-led planning approaches.
Even as the AVFO has intensified its unilateral approach to development through 2024-2025 with questionable road construction and land clearings, the community continues to document impacts and advocate for conscious, collaborative alternatives that respect both Auroville’s vision and environmental imperatives.
Fostering a Sense of Community
& Support Systems
The Auroville community has been organising regular events to come together during times of crisis – from concerts to meetings, even giant potlucks. As a case example, a community event which included a shared meal was organised by a group of Auroville youth and gathered over 1000 participants who came together to nurture the fraternity that binds all Aurovilians. Several ‘Unity Walks’ were also organised to express peaceful dissent while enjoying moments of shared activity.
For almost three years, residents have maintained a round-the-clock vigil in the Auroville Council room in Town Hall, ensuring that the only remaining meeting space for Residents’ Assembly working groups remains safeguarded for community use. Meetings to discuss the unfolding of events in Auroville are organised on a weekly basis and are attended by many residents, as well as some of their elected representatives.
In response to the dismissal of Aurovilians from their workplace and the abrupt interruption of allowances and budgets, crowd-funding and financial solidarity have become the norm. Thanks to donations from Aurovilians, Auroville International Centers from across the globe, and other well-wishers in India and abroad, some of Auroville’s essential services have been able to continue functioning despite budget cuts affecting vital sectors such as education and culture.
Often, when individuals have been targeted by the AVFO through threats of eviction, visa withdrawal, or cutting of funds, the community has mobilized in solidarity for those impacted – either through collective statements or through physical mobilization. In times of struggle, many Aurovilians have demonstrated what a real community feels like. Unfortunately, these threats have become the norm and the assault on Aurovilians is constant, which has also created an engagement fatigue from many community members. This sustained pressure has made it increasingly challenging to maintain solidarity efforts as residents struggle with their own survival needs alongside the broader community crisis.
Safeguarding Auroville’s Ecology
& Physical Assets
With the imminent threats of bulldozing through some of Auroville’s most beautiful forests and parks, and destroying important water catchment areas, some Aurovilians approached India’s National Green Tribunal, which emphasized the necessity for Environmental Clearance before any clearing of natural sensitive areas. To date, this Environmental Clearance hasn’t yet been received, and Aurovilians have been meticulously documenting the AVFO’s infractions to the Tribunal’s ruling. However, in March 2025, the AVFO had already bulldozed about 20,000 trees.
Community members continue to document environmental violations and tree cutting incidents across Auroville, creating vital historical records despite facing intimidation. When road construction began disrupting access to homes in the Vikas area in October 2024, residents insisted on more conscious approaches to development. When CPWD workers began constructing an unauthorized radial road through Revelation Forest, residents attempted to intervene and request proper authorization, despite facing police complaints in response.
In February 2025, residents mobilized to protect Auroville land from encroachment at Evergreen community after repeated pleas to the AVFO to file an appeal in court over the disputed land. Only after over 100 community members gathered at the AVFO building with a signed petition did the AVFO finally file a legal motion on the last possible date.
Nurturing Dialogue & Maintaining Resilience Under Pressure
Over the past four years, many attempts have been made to foster dialogue – even if their results may not be very visible. Options for mediation between residents’ representatives and AVFO’s associates have been explored and suggested. Initiatives to restore trust and communication between Aurovilians sharing different perspectives have been carried out both by concerned Aurovilians or by external researchers and experts. Additionally, landmark meetings with members of the International Advisory Council and the Auroville International network were held and fostered mutual understanding. Unfortunately, no meaningful exchange was ever held with the Governing Board, which refuses interaction and mutuality.
To restore spaces for communication in which all views could be expressed without abusive censorship, Aurovilians and their representatives have created new digital solutions for online conversations. The News and Notes, the community’s historical weekly periodical that had been taken over and censored, has been revamped, and new journals that uphold all perspectives have been created, including Voice of Auroville and the Evolving Galaxy Bulletin, which persist through volunteer efforts and minimal resources.
The reappointment of Dr. Jayanti Ravi as Secretary in December 2024 has intensified pressures on the community. A new “Code of Conduct” issued in November 2024 attempts to regulate residents’ movements, housing arrangements, and even social gatherings, with threats of “termination” for breaches. Despite these measures and other concerning developments – including increasing restrictions on visa recommendations and growing economic pressures – the community continues to find ways to maintain its core functions and uphold its fundamental values.
Last but not least, the Auroville community has been meeting regularly not only to discuss but also to engage in shared spiritual practice. Events invoking the spirit of Auroville were organised, and silent meditations – for peace and unity – take place regularly. Auroville’s most essential asset is its inner journey, and Aurovilians have been nurturing it, both individually and collectively.
In a Nutshell
Despite moments of fear, anger, and even occasional hopelessness, residents of Auroville have demonstrated the essence of a genuine community. Auroville has showcased its enduring tenacity and perseverance, persistently aspiring towards the profound ideals that deeply motivate it. Certainly, there remains room for progress, and Aurovilians humbly acknowledge that the vision outlined by the Mother still remains a considerable distance from full realization.
However, with over five decades of unwavering dedication and accumulated experience, the Auroville community now more than ever exemplifies its remarkable resilience amidst crisis. Those who have devoted their lives to manifesting its ideals continue to appeal for the assistance and support of well-wishers from India and around the world, with the intention of preserving and ensuring the survival of this remarkable and unparalleled journey known as Auroville.
