Résumé de la crise actuelle
Partie 2
Réponses d'une communauté résiliente
Last update: 15th March 2025
La crise actuelle a mis les Aurovilliens à rude épreuve, soumettant le projet d'Auroville à des risques inégalés. Pourtant, elle a simultanément créé une chance de transformation, permettant de réitérer l'objectif d'Auroville et ses valeurs profondes.
Cette note cherche à réfléchir sur la façon dont les résidents ont fait preuve de résilience et d'ingéniosité face à des défis redoutables, ce qui leur a permis de continuer à faire progresser la ville conformément à sa Charte et à sa vision d'origine. Alors que cette entreprise reste très éloignée de la perfection et que la situation devient de plus en plus préoccupante, il est tout aussi crucial de reconnaître et de célébrer les avancées courageuses réalisées par la communauté d'Auroville au milieu de la tourmente.
Important
Cette page n'a peut-être pas beaucoup de sens si vous n'avez pas lu la première partie du résumé de la crise actuelle, consacrée à la question : Ce qui est actuellement menacé?
Since the appointement of a new Secrétaire 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.
(Cette vidéo a été préparée en décembre 2022, plus d'un an après le début de la prise de contrôle forcée et de la destruction au bulldozer d'Auroville).
Réponses d'une communauté résiliente
Faire entendre la voix des résidents
Global Support & International Advocacy
Tissage de rêves" - Rapprocher les diversités
Favoriser le sentiment d'appartenance à la communauté
Sauvegarde de l'écologie et des espaces d'Auroville
Nurturing Dialogue & Maintaining Resilience
Faire entendre la voix des résidents
& Democratic Processes
In response to the repeated instances in which the Assemblée des résidents 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 Assemblée des résidents in the functioning of Auroville. The role of the Assemblée des résidents was also upheld in other judgements, such as the 15th March 2024 ruling by the Madras High Court.
Pour faire face à la prise de contrôle forcée de leur organe de relations publiques, Outreach Media, et par conséquent à l'augmentation des fake news et des déclarations fallacieuses dans les médias, les résidents d'Auroville ont créé un nouveau service de relations publiques appelé "Auroville Media Liaison", qui fonctionne sous le Comité de travail de l'Assemblée des résidents.
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 Commission de travail representatives – a fundamental aspect of participatory governance guaranteed in the Loi sur la fondation d'Auroville.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.
Franchir de nouvelles étapes
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, Assemblée des résidents 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 Assemblée des résidents,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 Secrétaire.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 Assemblée des résidents
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 Conseil consultatif international have repeatedly raised alarms about governance issues. In one striking example, three IAC members submitted an urgent communication to the Conseil de direction 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.
Tissage de rêves" - Rapprocher les diversités
Au début de l'année 2022, 70 Aurovilliens ont participé à une expérience de vision collective sans précédent : "Dreamweaving the Auroville Crown". Dans le but d'envisager un développement conscient et écologique de la Couronne, ces architectes, urbanistes, experts multidisciplinaires, groupes de discussion et résidents sélectionnés au hasard se sont réunis pour faire avancer le processus de conception urbaine collaborative d'Auroville. Le processus Dreamweaving a été salué par de nombreux experts, dont le regretté BV Doshi, architecte lauréat du prix Pritzker et ancien membre du conseil d'administration, comme un moyen novateur de cocréer des plans durables et fonctionnels. Les résidents d'Auroville et de nombreuses autres personnes considèrent Dreamweaving comme une solution positive et constructive en période de conflit, un processus participatif pour faire évoluer le développement d'Auroville.
In March 2023, duly selected representatives of the Assemblée des résidents 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.
Favoriser le sentiment d'appartenance à la communauté
& 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 Assemblée des résidents 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 Tribunal national pour l'environnement,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 Conseil consultatif international and the Auroville International network were held and fostered mutual understanding. Unfortunately, no meaningful exchange was ever held with the Conseil de direction,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 La voix d'Auroville and the Evolving Galaxy Bulletin, which persist through volunteer efforts and minimal resources.
The reappointment of Dr. Jayanti Ravi as Secrétaire 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.
Enfin, la communauté d'Auroville s'est réunie régulièrement non seulement pour discuter, mais aussi pour s'engager dans une pratique spirituelle partagée. Des événements invoquant l'esprit d'Auroville ont été organisés et des méditations silencieuses - pour la paix et l'unité - ont lieu régulièrement. L'atout le plus essentiel d'Auroville est son voyage intérieur, et les Aurovilliens l'ont nourri, à la fois individuellement et collectivement.
En bref
Malgré des moments de peur, de colère et même de désespoir occasionnel, les résidents d'Auroville ont démontré l'essence d'une véritable communauté. Auroville a fait preuve d'une ténacité et d'une persévérance à toute épreuve, aspirant avec persévérance aux idéaux profonds qui la motivent. Certes, des progrès restent à faire, et les Aurovilliens reconnaissent humblement que la vision esquissée par la Mère est encore loin d'être pleinement réalisée.
Cependant, avec plus de cinq décennies de dévouement inébranlable et d'expérience accumulée, la communauté d'Auroville illustre aujourd'hui plus que jamais sa remarquable résilience en temps de crise. Ceux qui ont consacré leur vie à la réalisation de ses idéaux continuent à faire appel à l'aide et au soutien des bienfaiteurs de l'Inde et du monde entier, dans l'intention de préserver et d'assurer la survie de ce voyage remarquable et inégalé connu sous le nom d'Auroville.
