Auroville, the Universal Town in the making, is founded on the work and vision of the Indian sage and philosopher, Sri Aurobindo, and his spiritual partner, Mirra Alfassa, from France, known as the Mother. This visionary world experiment was endorsed by UNESCO for the future and unity of humankind through a change of Consciousness.

Auroville was inaugurated on February 28, 1968 with a City plan and a Charter before 5000 guests that included ambassadors, UNESCO directors and people and youth from India and around the world. The City plan and the Charter form the twin basis of Auroville as a unified and unique experiment which combines material development with the spiritual.

Foreseeing the crisis of humanity and the plight of cities worldwide, Auroville was planned as a model of spiritual urbanism for which the Mother commissioned the architect Roger Anger ro make a city plan which came to be known as the Galaxy. This integrates social, cultural, educational, economic and environmental factors needed to create the conditions of change for the world’s future. We aspire to see this unique city experiment realized in the best possible way, without further delay, and hope to have your support in its manifestation.

Once the Auroville Foundation came into being with the Auroville Foundation Act and started functioning with the appointment of a Governing Board, the process of creating a master plan based on the Galaxy plan model, was done, approved and published in the Gazette of the Government of India. This model will be exhibited at the MOMA, New York, from February to July 2022 as a part of an exhibition on Modern Indian Architecture that will feature the work of Charles Correa, B V Doshi, Joseph Stein, Le Corbusier, Laurie Baker and Roger Anger.

On December 4, 2021, after months of sustained discussions, Auroville’s Town Development Council issued a work order to commence work on clearing the path known as the Crown. This circular path which unifies all parts of the city is a largely pedestrian artery that is to form Auroville’s main urban life centre and clearly indicated in the Master plan. Unfortunately, the anti-city and environmental hardliners soon gathered to aggressively stop the work by putting small children in front of JCBs that had been called to do the work of clearing. Police were called at night to protect the area from protestors and to allow the work to continue. However work was again blocked as the protestors returned and refused to back down.

Since then, misleading and destructive reports about Auroville and the events have been circulating in the media, social media, and petitions both via external and internal media. They challenge the master plan and speak in the name of all Aurovilians. This is absolutely incorrect and, a matter of great concern, as even RA decisions are now flouted on change.org with provocative statements against the government at the cost of Auroville. We want to take this opportunity to dispel the misinformation that is being spread and offer some clarity.

The Crown, an essential artery, has been blocked for over two decades by deliberately planting trees and thorns over it, effectively making large sections out of bounds, instead of taking care to keep the passage of this collective zone of Auroville clear. Additionally, ‘temporary’ buildings had been placed deliberately on the Crown, without permission and by defying agreements made. Anywhere else in the world, whether in India, Europe, America or elsewhere, the clearing of essential roads that are to serve everyone cannot be blocked or obstructed in such a manner, for so long.

Clearly, it is not an issue of saving a few hundred trees or sustainability. In the context of three million trees that already exist, serving only 3500 people occupying 3000 acres of land, we cannot proclaim to be sustainable. It is more a case, as it has become clear, of those who refuse the city as consciously planned. JCBs and police have been declared as prime villains in all this but the fact is that the foresters and some architects protesting, remain the most regular users of JCBs in Auroville. With a little goodwill and collaboration all the drama that ensued and continues could have been avoided. There is also the record of a JCB being driven into a community by foresters and youth, without warning, to dig a 2m wide and 2m deep trench to block access. Continued passivity towards such actions has led to a culture of entitlement and impunity that we witness today.

Auroville is planned as a very green and sustainable city with ample areas designated for green corridors and parks in the city area alone plus a greenbelt that will surround it. The fabricated ‘controversy’ around the master plan has been a recurring ploy to delay and obstruct Auroville from growing. Most shocking of all has been the NGT Stay Order to stop the work with a few members taking the rest of Auroville to court. No process was followed, no consultation sought and no respect given to the wishes of the rest of Auroville.

The how of it, now being decried, shows no acknowledgement or respect for the work done and expertise attained over the last 25 years. A master plan agreed upon and approved cannot change into a forest at the whims of some, altering the very direction of Auroville. Nor can it be challenged each time work finally gets ready to start.

Previous Governing Boards of the Auroville Foundation who helped initiate and get the needed approvals for Auroville’s master plan, also urged us to take the work forward several times without success. The current Governing Board has fortunately taken a very proactive stand which is appreciated by a large section of the community.

We must also remember that the people of the surrounding villages, here in Tamil Nadu, offered their land to the Mother to see Her dream realized. There is an open frustration that even after 50 years, their land holds only about 3500 people and not 50,000 as intended. There is a great support amongst the local population who want to contribute towards Auroville’s development with their skills, dedication and goodwill. Many have joined Auroville to see it realized but face the risk of being fired or not accepted, should they openly claim to support the city.

The provocative misinformation and media hype that continues has harmed Auroville’s image in the immediate bio region, and before India which hosts this unique experiment for the rest of the world. It has also confused our associates and well wishers who have collaborated with us and supported our growth and aspirations for decades.

Auroville is not about the personal dreams of the residents. It is a vision and a hope that each Aurovilian holds in trust for humanity. That all this occurs during Sri Aurobindo’s 150^th  birth anniversary has also come as a shock for many around the world.

Please be assured that we are neither in danger nor in any enforced situation despite the actions and abusive behaviour of some residents of Auroville and no one has been hurt so far, as it is being falsely insinuated in media reports and via anonymous websites and outreach.

In their meeting of 18^th January, 2022, the Governing Board unanimously reaffirmed its stand of continuing with the expeditious implementation of the Auroville township as per the Auroville master plan and invited all to collaborate harmoniously.

India, by carrying the Mother’s invitation to the world to build Auroville based on the vision of Sri Aurobindo, recognizes the aims and objectives of this visionary project, a place of unending learning. This ‘crisis’ is a moment of truth for all who have joined Auroville of their own free-will, to participate in its realization and to live up to their commitment.

Concerned Residents of Auroville

There are 2 more issues that I wish to highlight These are:

Decision making – the Mother, the Governing board, Aurovilians
1. For many of us the project of Auroville belongs to the Mother. She has initiated the project. She has given it a Charter. She has worked on the plan for the township with Roger the architect and chosen the galaxy plan for the township. She has given detailed instructions for the construction of Matrimandir which has been completed as per her instructions. She has given names to the 12 Gardens around the Matrimandir and these gardens are being created as per the significance of the names she has given. In various conversations and messages she has given indications of the organisation of Auroville, the economy of the township, its relations with the neighbouring villages et cetera et cetera.

It is strange for us therefore to constantly hear the argument that it is for the resident assembly to decide on everything pertaining to Auroville. In the same way the Sri Aurobindo society(SAS) claimed ownership of Auroville and therefore final decision making powers pertaining to Auroville which was then challenged resulting in the Auroville foundation act, 1988. The organisation of Auroville is now determined by this act of Parliament.

The Auroville foundation act tries to ensure a harmonious development of the township of Auroville along the lines envisaged by the Mother. I will not go into the details of the act but suffice it to say that the act envisages that the residents of Auroville would organise the day-to-day activities of Auroville and assist the governing board in carrying out its functions under the act. The act makes it amply clear that it is the governing board that is empowered to take final decisions. This has also been made clear in various opinions sought by Aurovilians from very senior advocates.

In the circumstances there should be no issue at all of who is the author of Auroville and who is the final authority in the affairs of Auroville as per the provisions of the Auroville foundation act
Freedom
2. Freedom is a basic necessity for any true creative work. I believe Auroville is attractive to people who come here because they find a freedom over here – a freedom to be who they truly are – which they are unable to find elsewhere. This freedom however is not of the ordinary kind related to outer expression of one’s being but on the other hand is a deeper inner freedom that is offered here. An example that happened during Mother’s life will suffice to explain the difference:

Someone from Auroville wrote to me that he thought he had come here to obey no one but himself(or words to that effect) but he noticed there are rules and laws. And he said,”I am not going to do any of this; I am a free man and refuse to do this.”This was reported to me, naturally so I wrote to him(I don’t remember):”one is free only when one is conscious of the Divine and conscious that it is the Divine who makes decisions in every one, otherwise one is the slave of one’s desires, one’s habits, of all conventions……” I sent him that and he kept quiet.
Mother’s Agenda volume 11 page 74

The freedom we want to realise in Auroville is not license – each one doing what he pleases without concern for the well-being of the organisation of the whole.

As for the principal that everyone should be allowed to do according to his nature, you can apply only where people do independent work by themselves; where many have to work together, it cannot always be done – regularity and discipline are there the 1st rule. Shri Aurobindo 1937.

This is an attempt to step back from the current scenarios in Auroville and try to understand the deeper roots of where our differences lie and where we are still united in our aspiration.

I am using the frame used by the Mother in the play she has written called The Ascent to Truth. This play is a short story of about 7 different types of people—a philanthropist,a pessimist,a scientist,an artist,3 students,2 lovers,an ascetic,and 2 aspirants– who all agree to discover the Truth and who agree that the Truth lies at the summit of a mountain that is nearby. They all agree to climb the mountain to discover the truth. As they climb the mountain each one of them stops the ascent at different stages of the climb till only 2 aspirants are left who reach the summit. Using this frame I see that we are all at different stages of our climb to reach our aspiration. I also see that there are a few clusters or groups of people who are at similar stages and who have at least temporarily reached a plateau and are in a state of rest where they have reached. These groups have come into conflict with those who are still in a state of movement in their aspiration and want to continue to move forward and upward in their journey to realise their aspiration. Let me straight away identify the groups that I see who have paused and are quite happy with the way things are and have joined with each other to resist change and the efforts of those who want to continue the building of the Township as per Mothers plan.

The 1st group that I see is one led by the Genius brothers. In this group Johnny is the iconic figure who represents a way of life that appeals to the idealism of many. As an observer from the outside what I see is a lifestyle that is simple, close to nature, hands-on and self-reliant, adventurous in exploring nature and probably many other qualities that I do not see. Johnny has had a strong impact as an educationist on the youth of Auroville in the late seventies onwards. Other members of the Genius brothers like Paul Blanchflower have also involved the youth in theatre productions which they all fondly remember. The annual play by the Genius brothers, the Christmas fair and the weekly pizza gathering at the YC, the Sunday dosa mornings with Johnny at Fertile are some of the elements that create a culture that unites the followers of this group. This group so far as I can see also has the Forest group as its supporters or sympathisers. This group has made it amply clear that they oppose the Galaxy plan given by the Mother for the township of Auroville. The placing of the YC kitchen on the crown road and the blocking of the development of the Crown road over the last 10 years has given this clear signal.

The 2nd group of people who I see have also reached a plateau and have settled down to a lifestyle that contributes to Auroville in some form of work which is important for Auroville and according to them that is sufficient expression of their aspiration. Most of them are now well off and outwardly follow a kind of bourgeois existence. To this group belong ex-followers of Satprem, of Kireet Joshi, and all those who have read and studied to some measure the works of Sri Aurobindo and the Mother and tried to practice the yoga but have now reached a plateau and do not have the drive or the energy to take on the task of building the Auroville Township.They include unit holders,school teachers and I too identify myself with this group though I cannot say that I am satisfied with my very comfortable life and want to do all I can to take the building of Auroville forward.. Members of this group also run most of the administrative machinery of Auroville and thereby create an administration that is conducive to maintaining the status quo rather than working to manifest in a progressive manner the higher ideals enshrined in the Charter of Auroville.

The 3rd very identifiable group of Aurovilians are those from the neighbouring villages. Their life in Auroville is particularly difficult as the culture to which they belong is right next door and the pull of this culture on them is strong contradicting the pull of the Auroville culture on them. By and large I believe they are committed to the creation of the township as Mother wanted.

While these 3 groupings are visible there are also a large number of individuals who do not fall into any of these groups but may have sympathies with one or the other of them. The need for the use of JCB’s and the police for clearing the crown has shifted significantly the sympathies of this group of individuals towards those opposing the clearing of the Crown ways. In spite of trying to see the matter from different angles I am unable to decide how we could have dealt with the situation where a small group of Aurovilians have been obstructing the clearance of the Crown Way in spite of so many discussions and in spite of so many years having been passed in this delay. The methodology used by the Aurovilians to block the work amounts to moral violence. According to the Mother this kind of violence is even worse than physical violence. If anybody has a suggestion of how we can continue together without such moral aggression I would really like to hear that. I have not been able to come up with any other way, knowing well of other instances of deliberate aggression by Aurovilians on other Aurovilians based on their belief system,again a plateau.

It may be mentioned here that all those who are blocking the clearing of the Crown ways never admit that that is their intention. Their statements always are,” we are for the galaxy concept BUT…….”,We are for the master plan BUT……” .This BUT is an invitation to endless talk and no action.

I would like to come back to the larger issue that is thrown up by this conflict. If one uses the frame that I have used then the issue simply is whether those who have reached some sort of a plateau in the pursuit of their aspiration can hold back those who want to continue the journey and work towards the manifestation of the project of Auroville as defined by the Mother. At my own level of consciousness I would say that certainly we cannot block the energies of those who want to continue on the path simply because some have decided not to continue. It is possible that the Mother has a different intention. I cannot say anything about that but have faith that she will do what needs to be done.

“To pause all clearing, infrastructure laying and permanent construction work on the Right of Ways of Crown, Radials and Outer Ring in order to enable the community to define a way forward for Auroville’s development, following:

• collective processes,
• the ‘Master Plan: Perspective 2025’ framework,
• and other relevant regulations.

The outcome shall be approved through a ratified Residents’ Assembly Decision-making process, before the above specified clearing, infrastructure laying and permanent construction work resumes”.

In my view, the call to decide to ‘pause all’ is a bit lost and late. Why?

Lost because, it is calling to pause all work, which I understand, given the circumstances, but, until when? As they say, the devil is in the details. Further, it says… ‘in order to enable the community’, but doesn’t define ‘What will make the community feel adequately enabled?’ Then again, it says, ‘to define a way forward’. To be noted, not ‘to move forward’, but only to further ‘define’, which again is an ambiguous term.

Point to be noted is ATDC is already structured in a way that enables the community to participate in self-organisation. Refer the Standing Order for ATDC, 2019. The mandate and the roles are already defined in it. Why duplicate and waste our already thin community resources? Why not ‘COLLECTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THE EXISTING COMMUNITY PROCESSES’ ?

Second, Late because, the work of clearing, infra laying and construction work on RoW of Crown has started long back, in 2009. The first work order to make the Crown Road was given then. Subsequently, work has taken place in the mentioned areas in sporadic ways. If at all, someone had apprehensions, there was a 12 year window to put forth alternate ideas, and even join ATDC to change as they wish. In fact, many protesting figureheads were part of ATDC, why didn’t they bother to correct the course, while it was still in the cold storage. Realistically, it is now almost impossible to pull back this decision, after having enacted all the drama till now. However, there is still scope to discuss the Radials and outer Ring Road. I wish we could focus our energy on the radials and outer ring, rather than the Crown. I’m ok for losing a battle to win a war.

The final para, ‘The outcome shall be approved through a ratified Residents’ Assembly Decision-making process, before the above specified clearing, infrastructure laying and permanent construction work resumes” is a bit worrisome too, as it puts a condition that work can only resume, provided we arrive at an outcome, given the undefined terminologies like ‘Collective Processes’ and ”Other’ Relevant Regulations’ – we can happily dedicate our lifetime to define what those are – we still arrive at some decision. Let’s say we decide to meander blissfully and avert the endangered Darkali. Now, the question is, will the work be stopped if Auroville loses the NGT case against the Auroville Foundation?

Let’s put this in context.

ATDC presented its plan for ‘the Crown’ to the Secretary, Auroville Foundation in August 2021. Yours truly was part of the ATDC then.

ATDC informed the Secy, AVF that the HTL of Crown is incomplete as the stewards are unwilling to allow the HTL to go through the planned circle.

Secy, AVF agreed to support ATDC in finishing the ‘long-pending’ work, and wanted to know the status of the pending roads. When it declared that it is bankrupt (which ATDC is, it depends on BCC and other willing donors) and cannot finish the work due to paucity of funds, she committed to get a GOI grant to help ATDC finish the work.

Secy, AVF believed she could take ATDC out of the logjam and went on a slew of meetings, walks, discussions, etc to find a solution to the stewards’ concerns.

Then, came October, and the new Governing Board members visited Auroville, listened to the requests of various working groups and assured support to finish ATDC’s work.

Again, many a meetings followed. Btw, there are 17 stewards on the pending crown area and almost all of the them agreed to the CRoW plan barring B, YC and D. They were asked to present their concerns and possible solutions to ensure the Crown goes as per plan. For eg. an alt space for YC or for Darkali, a type of technical solution to move the man-made water catchment area a bit, or to build bridges over stormwater flow, or transplanting trees, or anything else that they deem fit, as a solution to find a way for CRoW. However, the solutions from B,YC&D only recommended design changes to the CRoW plan itself. This was disappointing from ATDC’s point of view. Though, I think the responsibility for the misunderstanding rests on the ATDC. ATDC was ambiguous and flexible in its messaging, yet firm and quick in its actions.

In November, as requested by the Secy, AVF, it gets the necessary funding for the Crown, Radial and Ring work. And, the Crown work was supposed to be finished by 31st Dec. ATDC takes its sweet community-recognised work style and time. Honestly, ATDC was accustomed to working in hand-to-mouth mode, it did not have the wherewithal to shift gears and accelerate. We wondered, pondered and squandered the time.

Fast forward to Dec 3, the minutes of the meetings of the Governing Board are released and Secy, AVF requests ATDC to start the work immediately.

ATDC starts it on 4th Dec and ‘somehow’ continues till 10th Dec. Auroville gets a stay order from National Green Tribunal to stop the felling of trees until further notice.

As of today, the 17th Jan, the stay continues. If the stay is lifted, most likely the work shall resume, as the GB most likely believes they’re supporting Auroville Community work, as nothing came from them. They must wonder what all this hue and cry is about, after all they’re only helping implement Auroville’s own Master Plan (spare me the whataboutery). Can the RAD stop the resumption of work? Excuse the long detour.

Do we, as Auroville Residents’ Assembly, have a power to over-rule the GB’s decision? By all means, we can wish, request, advice, plead, beg, pray, appeal, ask, solicit, petition, seek, invoke, etc. to the GB to change their mind, for the sake of Auroville. But, of course, our enlightened mind, elevated soul, and advanced selves may find it demeaning. On the other hand, can we order, demand, summon, dictate, stipulate, pressure, command, impose, declare that the GB abide by the ‘community’ decision?

The Auroville Foundation Act, clearly defines the roles and powers. We may interpret it the way we want for internal consumption, but, would it help our cause?

I wonder, will we truly win, even if we win against the larger, external powers. I wonder what will be left of the community after winning? I also wonder what are we afraid of losing? as we anyway do not own anything physically.

I personally came to Auroville for inner work, and I’ve great battles to be fought there. And, my first battle ought to be against writing long essays.