Auroville locked down

January 30. India reports its first Covid-19 positive case in Kerala’s Thrissur district in a student who had returned home for a vacation from Wuhan University in China. A few days later, two more cases of students who had returned from Wuhan are reported. On each day in March, a gradually increasing number of cases are reported in various states and territories of India.

March 11. The Government of India suspends the validity of all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, international organizations, employment, and project visas, till 15 April. The Government also announces that all incoming travellers, including Indians, arriving from or having visited China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, France, Spain and Germany, will be quarantined for a minimum of 14 days.

March 18. The ban is extended to include arriving international passengers, including Indian passport holders, from the United Kingdom, Turkey and the whole of Europe and the compulsory quarantine for a period of 14 days is expanded to include passengers coming from UAE, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, with effect from March 18, 2020.

March 19. The Government of India announces that it will not allow any commercial passenger aircraft to land in India from the beginning of March 22 for a period of a week.

March 22. A nationwide voluntary curfew comes into force in the whole of India. The shutdown lasts for 14 hours until 9 p.m., leaving markets empty, train stations quiet, and all roads deserted.

March 23. The Government of Tamil Nadu announces that people should stay home and only come out for obtaining essential food items and services, till March 31st. It also instructs all employers to pay full wages for this period, even though the employees were not coming to work.

March 24, evening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announces a lockdown, a total ban on all residents of India leaving their homes for 21 days, coming into force at midnight, closing all commercial and private establishments and places of worship, with a few exceptions such as hospitals and food shops. “To save India and every Indian, there will be a total ban on venturing out of your homes,” Shri Modi said. “It is impossible to say the price India will have to pay if irresponsible behaviour continues.”

Auroville takes action

Auroville had been pro-active. On March 13th, the Working Committee called for a meeting in which it was agreed to close the Matrimandir Inner Chamber to external guests: Aurovilians were still free to meditate there in the early mornings and evenings. Also the video room at the Visitors’ Centre, and the pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and primary schools and secondary schools were closed.

On March 16, a wider directive was issued, informing about restrictions and precautions to be taken while visiting essential services such as the Solar Kitchen and the food and grocery outlets. Admission to these units and to Auroville restaurants and eateries was open only to Aurovilians, to guests holding an Aurocard and to volunteer card holders. All events which involved large gatherings, such as general meetings, concerts, festivals, were shut down. The Visitors’ Centre was closed for outside visitors; guesthouses and home stays were instructed to stop taking in new guests; the Quiet Healing Centre was closed and Santé closed all body-contact treatments. Instructions were given that those who had recently returned from abroad or from Covid-19 affected areas of India had to self-quarantine for two weeks. A list of mandatory precautions, such as the wearing of masks and sanitization of hands, was circulated.

On March 19, the Health Authorities of Tamil Nadu set up a screening camp at Santé in Auroville, where all those who had arrived from elsewhere in India or abroad were told to get themselves screened. Also those who had no travel history but had contact with people who have returned from abroad were instructed to getting themselves screened.

On March 21, the Collectors of Pondicherry and Villupuram district and its Health Service administrators visited Auroville. For them, Auroville, with citizens from over 58 countries, is a very sensitive zone.

A few days later more restrictions were imposed. The dining rooms of the Solar Kitchen and of all restaurants were closed; only food delivery and take away services were allowed.

The Working Committee setup a Covid-19 Task Force and intensified its interactions with the district authorities to ensure that all government orders, guidelines, quarantines and safety measures were communicated and implemented.

Lists of guests, volunteers and Aurovilians were shared with the authorities as required. All residents have since been requested to reduce their visits to places where many people gather at the same time and reduce their shopping trips as much as possible. A ‘basket’ food delivery system is being developed, in particular for the elderly and those with special needs. The larger aim is to fully move to home delivery and to stop all individual shopping. This will be implemented if the pandemic progresses into the Auroville area or if the government orders a stricter lockdown.

The situation became difficult for many Auroville guests and tourists, who found themselves stranded in Auroville. Foreign missions, such as the German and French consulates, started to organize flights home, which involved close coordination between the local authorities and the Working Committee. More special flights for tourists and short term visitors are being coordinated by the EU Embassies in New Delhi to repatriate European people from various countries.

A quiet concentration

In addition to all the 'practical' announcements, the Working Committee also suggested that all Auroville residents come together in a quiet meditation in their own homes on Sundays at 10 am. This can also be joined by the many Auroville friends outside Auroville. As one participant wrote, "A nice concentration this morning at 10:00. The feeling of being united with all the brothers and sisters connected to Auroville and Mother throughout the world, forming like an invisible network of protection. And also remaining passive, silent and open to the Divine Force, letting it flood and strengthen our being, which becomes then an instrument for its diffusion around us and in the world."

As of April 8, 2020, there are no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Auroville.

As Auroville is in lockdown, and we do not know when the printing of this issue will take place, we have decided to issue this special double issue for April/May which we will email to all our subscribers. In our next issue we will explore the effects of Covid-19 on Auroville and the way that Aurovilians have responded in more detail.