Summary – July & August 2023
Along with unusually high heat and humidity, Auroville continued to encounter unexpected challenges due to the administration led by the current Secretary of the Auroville Foundation Office (AVFO). This article sets out the events in Auroville during July and August 2023, focusing on both community-led efforts and the AVFO’s forceful approach.
Celebrating Sri Aurobindo’s anniversary
Auroville celebrated Sri Aurobindo’s 151st birth anniversary with two bonfires: the traditional fire at dawn at the Matrimandir Amphitheatre; and as was the case last year, a dusk bonfire organised by residents, held at the International Zone’s Inuksuk statue. At the latter event, a large symbol of Sri Aurobindo was created with candles and flowers, harmonious music was played, and refreshments were provided by the many volunteers. During the day, Aurovilian filmmaker Olivier Barot’s new movie on Sri Aurobindo’s early life, ‘Sri Aurobindo and the Earth’s future’, was screened while the Tibetan Pavilion organised many games and activities for children.
The same day, the AVFO invited spiritual leader Sri M to Auroville and organised a controversial ‘Unity Walk’ along the Crown; the event was poorly attended.
Hon’ble President of India visits Auroville
The Hon’ble President of India, Ms Droupadi Murmu, visited Auroville on 8th August 2023. In a speech at the Bharat Nivas Auditorium, Smt. Droupadi Murmu emphasised the impact of the teachings and philosophy of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother upon seekers worldwide. Due to the nature of the arrangements made by the AVFO, it was impossible for many Aurovilians to attend the main event. The President planted a tree in the Matrimandir gardens, accompanied by a signboard – the first time a public figure’s name has been officially displayed within Matrimandir premises as an enduring homage. In an earlier speech in Puducherry, about 10 kilometres away from Auroville, Smt. Droupadi Murmu reportedly said: “Spiritual tourism is fast becoming a global trend… The Union government has taken several measures to promote tourism in Puducherry”.
A focus on visitors and guests
Recent actions by the AVFO signal a shift towards tourism and financial profit in Auroville’s hospitality and information sectors. In July 2023, guest house managers were ordered to stop taking reservations and hand over their guest lists for a “restructuring” aimed at creating a centrally managed “Auroville Hotel Chain”, alongside “budget accommodations” for volunteers and long-term guests. This move, which threatens the financial stability of individual guest houses, was not accompanied by plans for financial support.
In August, the Visitors’ Center Information Service team was directed to remove all written material available for visitors at their desk, most likely in an attempt to rewrite the narrative presented to visitors. These changes indicate an effort by the AVFO to centralise control and potentially alter the public understanding of Auroville.
VIP road puts Auroville Dog Shelter and farms at risk
On July 29th, a week before the visit of the President of India, the Auroville Dog Shelter, home to over 300 dogs, was informed that a proposed ‘VIP access road’ would cut through the facility in the coming days and half of the dog enclosures would require immediate demolition. This posed not only an animal welfare concern but a public health risk, as some of the dogs carry contagious diseases. A temporary solution was found to redirect the road, but the shelter’s long-term future remains uncertain. Additionally, the proposed road also threatens substantial sections of three long term Auroville farms – Buddha Garden, Shambala, and Siddhartha Farms – impacting the community’s agricultural sustainability. Concerns have been raised that the road is not part of any approved Master Plan and contravenes the National Green Tribunal’s verdict.
Land exchanges
Recent reports reveal that the AVFO and its illegitimately appointed ‘Land Board’ continue to engage in controversial land exchanges that have significant repercussions for the community. Exchanges have already taken place in the Auroville Djaima settlement and near the Tindivanam Highway, lacking due diligence, internal procedure, and legal compliance, and incurring a loss of around 6 crore rupees to Auroville. One such exchange led to the displacement of award-winning stone sculptor Murthy without any of the promised compensation, leaving him without an income. There are also indications that further exchanges are planned, which threaten other areas in Auroville, including Forecomers, one of the first settlements of Auroville named by the Mother. This situation raises concerns about the transparency and ethics of the AVFO’s land management, and potential mismanagement of funds.
Over a year of presence
Marking over a year since the Auroville Council was unexpectedly asked to vacate its office space in Town Hall, a group of dedicated Auroville residents has maintained a 24/7 presence in the Auroville Council meeting room. Despite challenges, including an instance of physical violence against the Auroville Council secretary and sporadic utility cut-offs, this effort has ensured that Residents’ Assembly committees still have a place to meet in the Town Hall. This is a symbolically important assertion of the Residents’ Assembly’s right to organise itself as a statutory body of the Auroville Foundation.
Farms’ financial support cut
In July 2023, AVFO appointees cut all financial support to Auroville farms, effectively transforming them into commercial units responsible for generating their own income. This decision contradicts the community budgeting recommendations made in 2022, which identified Farms/Food and Social Support as high-priority budgetary areas. Over the last year, a total of 121 adult Aurovilians working in many domains including municipal services, farming and forestry have seen their monthly stipends cut by AVFO appointees, amounting to 13.6% of the Aurovilians financially supported by the City Services’ common fund. In addition to impacting adults, this is the first time that children’s stipends have also been cut. The Auroville Farm Group responded, criticising the cuts as detrimental to Auroville’s food security.
In a related issue, Ayarpadi Farm was instructed by AVFO appointees to hand over 5 acres of cultivated land, which consistently produces around 4 tons of grain yearly. It was planned to re-allocate the land to volunteers with only 6 months farm training, a move met with strong resistance from the Auroville Farm Group, which emphasised the counterproductive nature of the decision. Finally, the AVFO appointees “decided to keep Ayarpadi land out of the reallocation process”.
Auroville education structure under threat
Two ‘open meetings on education’ were held in July 2023 at the request of the AVFO. A number of community members expressed concern and confusion about the meetings since they followed a May announcement that the AVFO-appointed finance committee had announced a significant restructuring of Auroville schools, including budget cuts and a reduction in the number of teachers. The current set up of small schools with diverse approaches would be consolidated into a single school for each age bracket. It was also suggested to further increase pupil numbers by actively admitting non-residents, which may indicate intentions to cash in on Auroville’s educational work.
Matrimandir lake development raises concerns
Excavation and tree cutting has been taking place at the Matrimandir gardens to prepare the ground for a lake. However, the test phase of the lake is incomplete, and the viability and impact of the lake on the environment are still unclear. The engineer in charge of the test phase of the lake recently wrote that “barging ahead with the next sections of the lake” without completing the first section would “create a gigantic maintenance nightmare and lead to a monumental waste of resources”.
This hasn’t prevented the Matrimandir executives, allegedly under pressure from the AVFO, to uproot the many trees that were surrounding the Matrimandir gardens. 125 trees are endangered or have already been cut, including some valuable Neem trees that were over half a century in age. These actions go against the National Green Tribunal’s judgement, and diverge from collaborative community participation, as the Residents’ Assembly of the Auroville Foundation has not been consulted in the process.
Dreamcatching restarts
The Dreamweaving Core Team held a community meeting in July 2023 to restart the Dreamcatching sessions “to explore a more unifying action-oriented planning process for the development of Auroville.” Dreamcatching is a form of collective imagining that actively seeks to allow creativity to flow from a higher space. You can read more about the Dreamweavers’ proposal for holistic planning here.
Auroville residents vote on emergency functions
On August 14th, the Residents’ Assembly took two important decisions focusing on emergency powers. The first decision empowers the Residents’ Assembly to call for emergency voting at the request of 300 residents, and was approved by 98% of the 409 participants. The second decision granted the duly selected Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly emergency powers to appoint interim members to other working groups, and was approved by 93% of the 405 voters.
The Working Committee clarified that these “Emergency Functions” currently equate to “Crisis Management Functions”. They added that interim appointments, which could last from 2 months to 18 months, are not intended to replace the formal selection process but will serve as a stop-gap measure only. The yearly selection process that is organised by the Residents’ Assembly to appoint its own representatives is planned to take place as usual.
Court proceedings still ongoing
Recent court rulings have presented a mixed picture for Auroville’s Residents’ Assembly. The Madras High Court dismissed a case challenging new executive assignments to various services by the AVFO, leaving the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly to explore further legal options. Meanwhile, on 4th September, the appeal bench of the Madras High Court gave a ruling upholding the Residents’ Assembly as a statutory body and recognising its role in Auroville decision-making processes, bringing some relief to the Auroville community. On the other hand, another petition by a resident related to the ‘Outer Ring Road’ was not admitted, seemingly reinforcing the Governing Board’s authority over Auroville assets.
These rulings exhibit some contradictions concerning the powers of the Residents’ Assembly and the Governing Board, leaving the community hoping for further clarity from ongoing legal proceedings. Amidst these legal ups and downs, the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly expressed that they remain optimistic about the resolution of issues through the judicial system, and through further support from India and abroad.
Destruction along the Crown continues
Tree cutting executed by AVFO appointees continues to take place along the Crown area of Auroville and in other zones, and are in direct violation of the National Green Tribunal’s judgement. The work is being done at irregular times, such as on Sunday mornings or after dark. Destruction has also affected or threatened important infrastructure, including the water supply for several Auroville residential settlements. Furthermore, the holes left in the completed sections of the road pose injury risks for people and animals and encourage mosquitoes to breed. Concerns remain high about the ongoing environmental degradation and emerging health hazards.
Visa intimidation continues
The Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly recently disclosed that visa issues continue to plague the Auroville community. Ten individuals, including members of committees selected by the Residents’ Assembly, are currently in India without visas, awaiting letters of recommendation from the AVFO – some for over a year. Eight residents, including a family with young children, are ‘in exile’ outside India due to withheld letters of recommendation.
Additionally, over 80 residents have received one-year letters of recommendation instead of the five-year term for which they are eligible, often accompanied by a notice accusing them of “obstructing the work progress as per the Master Plan”. There is little factual basis to such claims, and no justification is ever given, nor any hearing offered to the concerned residents by the AVFO.
Satprem Maïni has received much support after he was asked to leave India despite having lived in Auroville for over 34 years and having contributed tremendously as a renowned and respected architect. A collective letter in support of Satprem was signed by over 2700 individuals, including about 900 Aurovilians. Additionally, around 150 individual messages and appeals from India and around the world were sent to various ministries.
A new channel for staying updated
Auroville Media Liaison, an activity approved by the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly, announced in August the launch of a new audio series called Auroville News Podcast. The first episodes of this podcast series, which delves into the latest happenings in Auroville, are available on auroville.media/podcasts as well as on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. The auroville.media website includes two new pages that summarise the current crisis, by looking at the current threats, and how the Auroville community has responded to these unprecedented struggles with resilience.
Auroville supporters are warmly invited to share these two web pages with their friends and contacts in India and world-wide. Auroville is an international experiment in human unity that can exist both thanks to India’s generous welcoming, and to the entire world’s support – and both are currently needed to face and overcome the challenges at play.
Extracted from Voice of Auroville, Issue 03, September 2023
