The Visa crisis

Recently, the Working Committee informed the community that it is aware that a number of individuals of foreign origin have received visa recommendation letters from the Secretary, Auroville Foundation, for shorter periods than what was recommended and endorsed by the Working Committee, and that this is causing deep concern and insecurity in many. The Working Committee said it is doing its best to address this situation with the Secretary and requested all those affected, as well as those who are still waiting for a letter of recommendation, to send it a brief statement outlining the years they have been in Auroville and the areas of work and service they have been involved in during that time, as well as anything else that is felt to be relevant.

The issue

Out of just over 3,300 Auroville residents, 1,893 residents are of foreign origin and depend on an Indian visa to live in Auroville. The Government of India has generously issued a special visa policy for Auroville: foreign nationals are entitled to a long-term 5-year visa subject to the condition that the application is accompanied by a recommendation from the Secretary, Auroville Foundation. This visa needs to be renewed every five years. Newcomers to Auroville can receive a one-year visa, again with a recommendation of the Secretary. This visa can be renewed three times, after which the foreigner has to return to his or her home country to obtain a long-term visa. All renewals require the recommendation of the Secretary.

In the past, the Secretaries of the Auroville Foundation have followed the recommendations of the Working Committee; rarely has any Secretary refused to give a recommendation or recommended a visa for a shorter duration than was suggested by the Working Committee.

The present Secretary, however, has taken a different stand. To date, several young Aurovilians who have been living in Auroville since birth and who are now adults, and some Aurovilians who joined Auroville more recently, have only received a recommendation letter for a three months extension of their visa. A few senior Aurovilians, amongst whom are people who have been living in Auroville for more than 20 or 30 years, also received only 3-months recommendation letters or a recommendation for a one-year extension.

The Secretary has not given any reasons for her decisions. In an article which appeared in The Print she was quoted as saying that “Nobody’s visas have been withheld but, yes, it all depends on the way they abide by what is expected of them legally, ethically, morally, spiritually of this project. We have evidence of people involved in illegal activities, obstruction of the intended city and it is entirely for authorities to take a call on it.”

What these “ethical, moral and spiritual” expectations are have not been explained. Neither has the Foundation ever published any of its “evidence” of people being involved in illegal activities, and no investigation seems to have been initiated. Some Aurovilians who received a 3-months’ visa recommendation were told that this was because of their participation in the protests against the way the Secretary and the Auroville Town Development Council proceeded in clearing the Bliss Forest and the Youth Centre. Others, who were not actively involved in the protests, learned that they received a short-duration recommendation because of their connections to people in the community who were not in agreement with the actions of the Secretary. Several Aurovilians, including families with young children, are now facing uncertainty regarding their future in Auroville. They have to leave Auroville without knowing if they will ever be able to return.

Deep concerns and insecurity

These decisions of the Secretary are not only causing deep concern to the foreign and many Indian residents of Auroville, but also to Dr. Karan Singh, who had been Chairman of the Auroville Foundation for more than 20 years. In a public message of February 26th, he stated that he was “mortified” by the recent events and warned that visas should not be disturbed, “because over the decades, people have come from almost 60 countries giving up their homes, positions and taking up residence in Auroville as a unique inter-cultural community.” He acknowledged the Secretary as “a highly qualified and motivated civil servant who considers building the city of Auroville as her only priority,” but warned that “means are as important as ends, and if the right means are not adopted the end will necessarily get distorted. This is unfortunately what has happened in Auroville, resulting in a great deal of tension in the community and even panic when there was a hint that some visas may be disturbed. That should certainly not be done.”

What does it mean to come and live in Auroville

When a person decides to settle in Auroville, there is a financial donation to be made to the Auroville Foundation to build or acquire and become steward of a house or apartment, as all immoveable assets are owned by the Auroville Foundation and only a few assets are available against payment of a monthly contribution. Such donations are substantial: for example, the cost of the apartments that are presently under construction at Vibrance range from 25 lakhs for a one-person studio to Rs 50 lakhs for a two-bedroom apartment. Also, any person who wishes to start a business or an activity needs to put up their own funds to do so. These donations cannot be recuperated if a person leaves Auroville.

Many Auroville residents have made substantially larger donations to Auroville beyond for their residence. Private funds have been donated for land purchase, for digging wells and installing pumps, for setting up farms, creating forests, building schools and cultural centres, and for maintaining all these assets throughout the years. As one educated and skilled elderly Aurovilian put it, “I dedicated decades of my most valuable working years to Auroville, I donated all my private funds, I have nothing left. If the Government of India withdraws my visa, I am on the street in my native country as I have no longer any assets or family there.”

Building Auroville

Dr. Karan Singh, in his message, confirmed that in his experience, “the Auroville community seems to be unable to come to a consensus on important matters and is constantly divided even on vital issues, which is most unfortunate.” One of these vital issues is the building of the city, on which Auroville Today has reported in many issues. But it would be incorrect to state that the majority of the residents oppose progress and the building of the city. What they object to is the top-down approach that disregards the voice of the Residents’ Assembly and the forceful manner with which the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation and certain Aurovilians proceed with development. Dr. Karan Singh advised that the credibility gap between sections of the community and the Secretary be bridged and that ten senior Aurovilians, five from each side of the dispute, sit together to seriously consider what can be done to overcome the present crisis. This suggestion has not yet been implemented.

The future

The decisions of the Secretary may have a wider impact than only affecting the concerned foreign Aurovilians; they may affect the future of Auroville. Auroville is meant to be an international community dedicated to human unity in diversity. Some foreign nationals may now think twice before making substantial non-returnable donations for the right to come and live in Auroville. But Auroville’s aims cannot be reached if residents of Auroville feel under threat of their visas being revoked. For this reason, action to restore the established protocol and build transparency around the issuing of Auroville visas is imperative.