An Appeal for the City

THERE are two possibilities. The first is a step-by-step procedure based on the need of the day. This more or less corresponds to how we tackle the problem at present, problems are solved as they come up. This is the way in which most towns and cities around the world have developed. Over the years the intricate healing faculty of time eliminates mistakes that have happened, or integrates them in acceptable ways. Possible scars might even be appreciated later as landmarks with stories attached to them and enrich the cityscape by providing visible “history”. This approach leads to an organically grown diverse and varied urban fabric, reflecting the consciousness of the people living in the place, but its eventual outcome will remain unpredictable; it also risks causing unforeseen problems that will have to be dealt with in the future – and it will definitely not produce anything remotely resembling the Galaxy concept that Roger proposed and the Mother accepted.

That, or any other more ambitious vision, can only become reality through “planning”. Research is needed and a systematic approach, trying to foresee and harmonize all sociological, economical, technical, aesthetic and physical factors that might influence the process. Based on pre-formulated and agreed-upon aims regarding our city life, alternative scenarios will have to be developed by competent professionals and evaluated before decisions can be taken by the community. The outcome will be a “course of anchoring logic” for our city development which, in its major guidelines, would hopefully be convincing for the later generations who will have to carry its implementation on into the future. This would require a tremendous work on the part of the professionals working, unexposed to “politics” yet briefed and controlled by a “client body” representing the views of the wider community, in a specially established department. A precondition for this undertaking (as for all science and research aiming to proceed into the unknown) would be a willingness to admit areas of ignorance, and to seek the help of more knowledgeable specialists to fill in the gaps and overcome deficiencies.

The Galaxy plan can only be realized by applying the second alternative. If the first alternative is our accepted preference, it might be time to consciously say “good-bye” to Roger’s concept.

Helmut

Published as blog on the Auronet

Helmut’s blog post on Planning sounds like a last minute wake up call to all of us. That between our professionals, planners and environmentalists we have arrived at this point after 50 years, instead of being well on the way towards a first phase of completion is a matter of serious concern so, despite my non-professional credentials, I share this with you.

Why is it that after all these years there has been no real research from our architects and planners to help us see this planned city for what it is: an extraordinary invention combined in its many parts, along with a greenbelt and a living, conscious centre, the Matrimandir. It is the perfect material counterpart that “enables” the Charter to manifest the Dream. Instead, year after year, we have seen reports about how the Galaxy is a failure and not worthy of trial. That this has come from some of our architects and planners has been very disheartening.

The Galaxy has been systematically lampooned – as a 1950s cake, unsustainable, against ground realities, unaffordable, Mother as hopelessly old fashioned, or that Auroville was never meant to be a city – without the least effort to understand the incredible possibilities that makes the plan wholly sustainable in ways that are far more integral and focused at realizing the aim of the Auroville Charter : Human Unity.

Sadly, the resistance has not only divided Auroville but derailed and delayed initiatives, and opportunities lost on the charge that the plan must now evolve. But evolve to what, is the question? To Helmut’s first scenario, as we can already see? In which case it can only be called a regression to existing patterns of failed urbanism whatever the sustainable or organic branding may be.

It is perhaps time to honestly consider that it is not the plan, but we, the Aurovilians, who need to evolve and learn to be on par with it, to discover all that it offers us. The Charter and the Galaxy were a “given” when Auroville was born and each Aurovilian holds them in trust for the rest of humanity and for its future.

In no way can we grant ourselves permission to throw out the Galaxy Plan because by doing so, we throw Auroville off course and the real potential of the experiment.

I appeal to the Town Development Council, the Working Committee, the Auroville Council and all other groups and residents of Auroville, as well as members of the Governing Board and the International Advisory Council to not let this happen as we approach our 50th year.

Once we have the courage and generosity to accept the plan and work with it, it will open the way for everyone to work together, collaborate in many areas and in many ways which we must discover together. Only if we agree to build this city with love and hard work and not turn it into a random sprawl, can we manifest the organization, economy, education, art, architecture, health, mobility, sustainability, society, agriculture and environment - as a real experiment at the scale of a Dream, in a city that also contains a greenbelt and a luminous centre.

With a prayer that Auroville will not be forced to go for a “makeover” as a sustainable town (only) because the Galaxy has failed, which some recent articles about Auroville have already begun telling us with a good bit of help from our own media.

Let the 50th year be a renewal of hope for the planned city and its manifestation.

For those who still have doubts if the Mother wanted a city and all that we need to worry about is the Charter I publish three images from 28th February, 1968.

The Charter was placed in the Urn with the soil from around the world.

I urge you not to simply react to this, but to reflect on it, visit the Inner Chamber if you like, and see how best we can take this city forward together and not write it off as a failure. That is where our collective egoism has got us so far, but such decisions are not ours, even if we have been granted a Residents’ Assembly voice in the Foundation Act. Building the city is to find the truth of our surrender and our freedom to work together with goodwill and unity. That will create a fantastic collective body and a Residents’ Assembly to dream for.

Even if Mother didn’t specifically ‘Bless’ the Galaxy Plan, she was fully aware of it, and if she had foreseen any problems would have sought changes. Yet, as Anu mentions, some Aurovilians challenge it and would like to see it substantially modified; even abandoned.

Why? Do they no longer have faith in Mother? Do they think that despite her Divine foresight she was wrong? That 50 years later we know better? Or that what she accepted then can no longer be relevant? Or do they still think that it is impractical, and won’t work according to established rules of town planning? Whatever, I feel there are important points to be made.

Firstly, there can be no doubt that the Galaxy excites the imagination. It is beautiful, inspiring, futuristic, and different to any town layout on earth. It can even be said that it was one of the first things about Auroville that attracted most of us and excited us about this city for the third millennium. Compare it to the layout of any existing town, such as Pondi-cherry, and there simply isn’t the same beauty or feeling of something new and exciting. Other town layouts may look practical at first glance, but they are not inspiring like the Galaxy.

Is this important? Yes, I think it is, because I suspect that the spiral shape is an embodiment of power – like a mandala or chakra. In fact I believe the Galaxy Plan is much, much more than a mere town layout, and has the ability (like the Matrimandir Inner Chamber) to attract forces beneficial to Auroville, while also radiating out similar positive forces to the surrounding world.

My second point is that the Galaxy Plan will greatly facilitate Auroville’s interaction with nature. The spiral layout makes it much easier to create wildlife corridors crossing the heart of the township from almost any point on the perimeter than would be, for example, a layout like Pondicherry’s. With the latter, and most town layouts, nature corridors would constantly come up against awkward changes in direction or even have to make 90-degree turns around corners. The Galaxy’s spiral shape facilitates complete crossings with minimal deviation.

My third point follows closely the previous one, namely that just as the Galaxy Plan allows free movement of species across and within the township, so also it will permit good airflow. This means that a constant flow of fresh air from the surrounding Green Belt will be able to permeate the inner township and four zones.

My fourth point is perhaps the most important of all. I referred above to the “impracticality” of the galaxy, as claimed by some critics: it simply won’t work according to them. To this I can only say GOOD!! Because what they are unconsciously saying is that with such a layout we will be unable to create a township like other townships on Earth. We won’t be able to create another Pondicherry, Chandigarh, Paris, London, Beijing or New York. Well, that’s wonderful news, because we are not here to make just another township. To make the Galaxy Plan work we will have to set aside all existing rules, concepts and formations built up over centuries, and open ourselves to something new seeking to manifest. In other words, we can only make the Galaxy Plan work by going beyond all established criteria for existing townships. The Galaxy, in all its power and beauty, will force us to find a new way to make a township work. And in that new way we will be able to break our established moulds, move into a new state of being, and live a collective life in a totally new way. One could even surmise that a major step towards human unity will become a necessity to live harmoniously in such a township. In other words, the Galaxy is a safeguard that we won’t be able to repeat what humanity has always done before.

That, I believe, is one of the reasons why Mother accepted the Galaxy Plan. I don’t believe she did so for practical reasons, but because she foresaw that Auroville would be obliged to find a new way, live a new life, and not just repeat what had already been done with unsatisfactory consequences elsewhere.

There is also one more point. If we were ever to abandon or modify the Galaxy Plan, what would we replace it with, or how would we change it? It is at such a point that we would descend into a nightmare of petty squabbling and ego-driven preferences. Better that we don’t all believe in the Galaxy but retain it in its purest possible form, than that we try to find agreement on anything else.

Those are my intellectual reasons and feelings on the matter. But, above all, I feel we should not abandon anything that Mother has gone along with. When divine sanction has been given to something one should not disregard it, because one can be sure that the divine’s guidance and protection will be with it at every step.

Someone said to me within an hour of my first arriving in Auroville in 1973, “It’s not so much that we are building Auroville, but rather that Auroville is building us.” I really believe that the galaxy plan has the power to do that – if we will trust Mother, accept it in its entirety, and let it do its work upon us for humanity as a whole.

    Tim

Published in News&Notes

 10th September 2016