Published: January 2022 (4 years ago) in issue Nº 390
Keywords: Crown controversy, Right of Ways (RoW), Bliss forest, Youth Centre, Darkali forest park, Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC) / L’Avenir d’Auroville, Sri Aurobindo’s 150th birth anniversary, Timeline of events, Crown walk, Lilaloka, Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, Auroville Foundation, Working Committee and Crown clearing
References: Dr Jayanti Ravi
Clearing a path for the Right of Way of the Crown
The clearing through Bliss Forest
This issue is almost entirely devoted to the tumultuous events of the last weeks which saw bulldozers removing trees planted by Auroville foresters and Auroville habitations in the Youth Centre, to clear a path for the Right of Way of the Crown, which is intended to connect the four zones of the city. This action was opposed and decried by some who saw it as an assault, not only on the environment, but also on the fabric of our unity, while others, while not necessarily applauding the methods, were happy to feel that, after 53 years, an important step was being taken towards the materialization of the city.
In this 10-page issue, we present various perspectives, as well as a timeline of the swiftly escalating events. We also cover the traumatic impact upon those who were most affected, as well as a selection of the letters received from outside Auroville connected individuals and organisations expressing their concern at events, and offering advice and support.
Times like this enable our deep dissensions to surface, but also our resilience and our desire to move forward more united than ever before. This latter aspiration has been most evident in the way the Youth Centre residents and friends have once more welcomed Aurovilians to their gatherings to share food, and even laughter. We celebrate their spirit, and cover some of the other initiatives springing up as a means of healing our challenged unity.
Finally, although the dust is still to settle on these deeply disruptive events, and while uncertainty remains about what will happen in the immediate and long-term future, we present some perspectives on the possible lessons we can learn from some of the most turbulent weeks in Auroville’s 53 year history.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
February – November 2020
Auroville Town Development Council (ATDC) wants to lay a high tension cable along the Crown Road route (a 4km circular road), which is conceived as running through Bliss Forest and Youth Centre. The cable laying requires clearance and trench digging for the infrastructure. ATDC attempts to do a survey of the area, with no prior communication. Youth Centre and Bliss Forest propose an alternative route for cable laying, along the existing road from Youth Centre to Lilaloka.
November 2020 – March 2021
A meeting was held (November 2) between ATDC, FAMC and various working groups, and stewards of Bliss Forest and Youth Centre community, about the proposed alternative route. In the coming weeks, the Auroville Foundation directs ATDC to clear the Right of Way along the Crown route, and issues a Work Order, with no communication to the affected communities. In March 2021, ATDC posted on Auronet its intention to implement the high tension cable along the Crown route, and a new location for the Youth Centre.
June
ATDC informs the Bliss Forest stewards that it will start a topographical survey in Bliss Forest. As the survey proceeds, the stewards note that the survey does not seem to meet the stated purpose, but merely follows the purpose of marking a future road and corridor of the Crown. They express their disappointment about this miscommunication from ATDC.
4 July
The new Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, Dr Jayanti Ravi, arrives in Auroville.
31 July
Crown Walk: The newly-appointed Secretary walks the proposed Crown route with members of working groups, ATDC and the community. Supporters of the Crown are enthused but fences and forest are trampled.
August – October
Various meetings are held – at short notice, with no email invitation – between ATDC, the Secretary and people who would be directly affected by the laying of the HT cable and development of the Crown (Darkali, Centre Field, Bliss, Youth Centre), and other stakeholders. The affected community members try to resolve things with goodwill and try to avoid confrontation. A survey of trees and buildings is undertaken, and shared with the community, and some points are clarified.
October
Nominations of the new Governing Board, Auroville Foundation are announced, as are Nominations of the new International Advisory Council.
Friday December
ATDC writes to the Youth Centre, informing them that clearance work along the Crown route will commence “next week”.
Saturday December 4
9am
Contrary to what ATDC had previously informed the Youth Centre and Bliss Forest stewards (that work would start the following week), JCB bulldozers (from Auroville Road Service) suddenly arrive at Bliss forest, Lilaloka entrance on December 4th, with no pre-warning to the community. They are accompanied by members of ATDC, and a few Aurovilians who support this action. They start uprooting trees. No Work Order is presented by the people doing the clearing work. Community members call out for help. More than a hundred Aurovilians rush to the site. The police are called by the Foundation. After being given information by people present, the police leave the site.
12 am
Residents reach out to the Working Committee (WC) and the ATDC for explanation. About 150 community members hold an emergency meeting. Three statements are agreed upon as a basis for Residents Assembly Decisions:
1. Request the halt of all further development until a RAD decision is made
2: Request the immediate resignation of Working Committee members Anu, Srimoyi, and Arun
3. Request the resignation of all ATDC members
10:15pm
Three bulldozers are spotted outside the Auroville Foundation office. A late night meeting is taking place, with people coming and going.
Sunday December 5
1am
At 1am, the bulldozers leave the Auroville Foundation office, escorted by many police officers with members of the ATDC, and head to Bliss Forest to complete their work of uprooting trees in the middle of the night. Youth Centre residents rush to stop the advance of the bulldozers. Extra police officers have already erected multiple roadblocks at all access points, to stop other concerned residents from reaching Youth Centre. The police detain some of the Aurovilian teenagers, including a girl. A few dozen Aurovilians manage to reach the site through the forest. The detained youth are eventually released. Two members of Working Committee arrive on site.
3pm
More than 500 shocked community members gather at Kalabhumi amphitheatre. The consensus is that the events of the night represent a kind of behaviour that cannot be accepted in Auroville.
A resolution is signed to this effect, by all present at the meeting (at least 500 people) and more
signatures are later added. The resolution is communicated to the Foundation and working groups.
Auroville is a place where men and women of all countries are able to live in peace and progressive harmony, above all creeds, all politics and all nationalities. The purpose of Auroville is to realise human unity.
As a member of the Auroville community, I cherish these values and the work we have to do together, whatever the challenges. I reject violence, threats & actions which undermine community processes and our collective work.”
The Auroville International Board (AVI Centres) sends a statement to the Working Committee and the Secretary of Auroville Foundation in support of the community.
Monday December 6
6pm
Five Aurovilians meet the Secretary at Matrimandir. She requests the Youth Centre community to step aside. She verbally offers INR 10 lakhs to the Youth Centre, and the possibility of relocating the buildings in Bliss Forest if the community agrees. They are given until 7am next day to respond.
8pm
Youth Centre members call for an emergency meeting to report the outcome of the talk with the Secretary.
The youth accept to collaborate under some conditions:
– They will dismantle the buildings themselves
– They decline the financial compensation
– ATDC should provide the signed NOC (Non-Objection Certificate) within 48 hours to allow the
construction of the new buildings in the same area. Although this decision does not align with the Residents Assembly process, (stewards cannot take such decisions before consulting the whole community), it was agreed that collaboration would ease the tension. A written response is sent within the required timeframe to the Secretary and the ATDC.
Tuesday December 7
7am
No answer has been received from the Secretary’s office by 7am, the deadline given by the Secretary.
The Youth Centre continues to wait for a written agreement signed by the Secretary.
8am
A spontaneous meeting is held with the wider community at the Youth Centre. There is no answer from the Secretary’s office so far. While the meeting is undergoing, an answer from ATCD is received, but it differs from the original request, and this is confirmed by the Secretary’s office.
12pm
Outreach Media – Auroville’s service that facilitates external media relations on behalf of the
community – is asked by the Secretariat to “refrain on issuing any statements until further notice”. The Auroville Foundation office appoints two “Official Spokespersons”.
3pm
In order to support the youth in these challenging times, a musical get-together is planned at Youth Centre. However, a parallel event is then announced by the newly-appointed “Spokesper-sons” at the same venue. Despite this, the two events combine and it goes ahead peacefully.
Wednesday December 8
The Residents Assembly Service asks the Working Committee (WC) to organise an emergency
Residents Assembly Decision. It is refused by the majority of the Working Committee (2 members in favour, and 4 members against). An alternative, more environmentally-sensitive proposal of development of Bliss Forest is presented by Bliss stewards to ATDC. Announcement of the first General Meeting for the process of the first Resident Assembly Decision
(RAD) for 20th December: to put on hold the development of the Crown until further notice from the Residents Assembly.
Thursday December 9
7am
More than 100 unidentified people, allegedly hired by an Aurovilian, enter the Youth Centre with two JCBs. The Youth Centre team and concerned citizens try to make sense of the situation, to establish order and request the official Work Order. Ignoring their requests, the crowd and machines forcefully enter and start destroying infrastructure, bulldozing trees and buildings. Aurovilians are manhandled. Rampant destruction continues despite all efforts to peacefully deal with the situation. Finally, residents from different communities of Auroville come together. Holding hands, they silently bear witness. Within two hours of the enforced destruction, all the buildings are down. Aurovilians watch the destruction in shock. More buildings were taken down than had earlier been agreed upon.
3pm
Some residents attend a meeting with the Secretary at the Unity Pavilion called by the Foundation. At the same time, JCBs make their way towards Darkali Forest, driven by people from a distant village (not direct neighbours of Auroville). This sudden arrival of JCBs causes a chaotic situation as Aurovilians and concerned people try to stop them without using violence. No Work Order is shown. Rumours circulate that there is potential for arrests, police cases, visa issues and other punitive action. After some confrontations, the situation evolves into a peaceful sit-down protest, as the people present chant and refuse to budge.
6pm
The Darkali stewards communicate with the Secretary, and emphasise that they do not agree with the clearing and gain an agreement to stop the work that night. They reluctantly agree not to obstruct the road clearing when it recommences in the morning at 6am.
Peaceful protesters continue to camp at the site overnight.
Friday December 10
7.30am
Four bulldozers, along with Auroville’s Road Service and members of ATDC arrive in Darkali. They start bulldozing work, while Auroville residents protest silently. Later in the morning, a JCB heads towards a precious water catchment, and a few Aurovilians stop it.
2pm
Bulldozers start the work on the other side of Darkali Forest. Concerned residents rush to the site.
2.30pm
A Status Quo Order is obtained from the National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone, which orders that felling of trees must stop for one week (until 17 December). All work is stopped. Former International Advisory Council members send a collective statement to the Chairman of the
Governing Board, sharing their deep admiration for Auroville and concern regarding the unfolding events. A letter is sent to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by Vasanthi Devi, the former Chairperson of the State Commission for Women, Tamil Nadu, and 10 other prominent Indian professionals, expressing their “grave concerns” for Auroville, making reference to “hired strongmen” and the “deplorable” threats towards Aurovilians. They emphasise the need for development decisions to be “taken in consultation with the residents of Auroville and the state government”.
Saturday December 11
The Minutes of the 57th Governing Board Meeting (2 November) are circulated, which cite multiple action points that “needs to be taken to accelerate the development of the Auroville Township” and that an “initial budget for the programmes, events and projects of Rs 50 Crores” from the Government of India has been approved. The Board states that it sees the 150th Birth Anniversary of Sri Aurobindo as the beginning of a “new phase of accelerated development” of Auroville. Auroville’s current International Advisory Council expresses its concerns in writing to the Governing Board, and calls for inclusiveness and collaboration.
2pm
Auroville Road Service team is seen working in Bliss forest again, with a parked JCB, a tractor and a trailer. They are accompanied by one of the “Official Spokespersons” of the Foundation office. A passing witness calls a member of the Working Committee, who arrives on site. A Work Order dated December 11th is presented.
Sunday December 12
Auroville Road Service proceeds with marking the land for the high tension cable. The Secretary addresses an event held at Auroville’s Unity Pavilion for Golden Chain Fraternity
members (alumni and well-wishers of the Sri Aurobindo ashram). The invitation encourages them to “help in the construction of ‘the city of dawn’”, and encourages people with different kinds of expertise to “offer their energy to this endeavour”, and states that board, lodging and a stipend will be given to such volunteers. She states in the meeting:
“Many people have contributed for a vision and dream of the Mother”
“There’s no need for analysis and paralysis, which has been happening again and again”
“There cannot be anything better than what Mother has given” in the Master Plan
“Why are 3000 of us stopping, decelerating, preventing the entry of the other 47,000 people who are all waiting? Is it your right?”
“We’re all one, we’re all children of the mother. But at the same time, even in your own home, when there is something you want to do in a child, you have to very gently, very patiently, but, restrain the child. And that’s what we tried on December 4th.”
“JCBs are not in any way violent.”
“At the Youth Centre destruction, ‘young volunteers from the bioregion’ were invited ‘to come and help’ and make ‘a human cordon’ like the ones ‘the celebrities have’ to protect them from people who want to take selfies. As ‘the JCBs are the celebrity, because you have to get the work done,’ the human cordon was seen as necessary.”
“I would like to very strongly say, there was no violence. On the contrary. There was definitely an attempt to restrain...”
“Let us all connect, if you’re all children of one mother, but in a disciplined, in a proper planned way.”
December 15–16
Auroville Road Service continue road-levelling and trench digging at Youth Centre and Bliss – actions which seem to contravene the court order.
Three members of ATDC resign.
Friday December 17
The Stay Order is extended until December 21.
Saturday December 18
The trench work still goes on, seemingly in contravention of the court order.
Monday December 20
4pm
The Resident Assembly Service holds a meeting in preparation for decision-making to stop all
development work on the Crown until further notice from the Residents’Assembly. More than 700 people attend. The Secretary attends the meeting and requests to speak to all present.
At the meeting, Aurovilian architect Omar confirms that he and fellow architect David Nightingale are moving forward with a collaborative brain-storming process (the Dreamcatchers method) with Auroville’s architects and urban planners and the Vastu Shilpa Foundation (under the guidance of renowned architect Shri B V Doshi) to integrate the Galaxy concept and Master Plan framework, in a way that is sensitive to local conditions. The group will offer its findings to ATDC and the Foundation in due course.
Tuesday December 21
The Tribunal’s Status Quo order is extended until the next hearing on 3 January, 2022.
Thursday December 23
The Auroville International Board sends a second letter to Dr Ravi and the Governing Board, urging the necessity to uphold Human Unity as a core value in the evolution of Auroville. It expresses hope in the collaboration of Auroville’s architects (in a Dreamweaving process), and the Vastu Shilpa Foundation to strive towards Detailed Development Plans.
December 27th
In a well-attended general meeting, residents give enthusiastic support to the Dreamweaving proposal.
December 28th
The ATDC announced that it will continue with Crown development work, regardless of the
Residents’ Assembly decision, with reference to sections 19(1)c and 17(e) of the Auroville Foundation Act and in compliance with the decision of the Governing Board, subject to the verdict of the National Green Tribunal.