Felicity and Happiness land exchanges

Residents of Felicity and Happiness, two outlying communities having a population of about 20 to 30 residents, have informed the RA-WCom that they are facing challenges since they learned in March of this year that a prime parcel of land of approximately an acre and a half which faces the old Auroville Road had been exchanged for land in the Master Plan area. The communities’ water line, water tank, electricity line, and access road are located on this land.

Alarmed by this exchange, of which they had not been informed, the residents contacted the Land Board which promised them verbally and multiple times that they would update the legal document and keep the electricity line and the water access out of the exchanged land parcel and that the land board would build a new access road and a new entrance for these two communities.

The Land Board started building a new access road but this work was not complete when the new landowner abruptly closed off access to Felicity, installed a new chain link fence, locked the gate and summoned the police to warn residents against entering his land. The residents also learned from the new landowner that he plans to fence off the water line, water tank, and electricity line, in contradiction to the promises made by the Land Board.

The residents complained that the Land Board has either repeatedly and willfully misled them or is simply incompetent and unable to match its words to its actions. They also complained about the dismissive and contemptuous way the Land Board has responded to the residents: calls are not answered, and emails are not acknowledged or responded to. In meetings with the residents, the Land Board stated that the residents have no standing; that the Land Board has the right to proceed as they see fit; and that the residents’ concerns amount to a violation of the purpose of Auroville. The residents are objecting to “the opaque and insolent outlook of formal bodies” and question if “the willful misdirection, incompetence, and an insulting disposition befits a senior office of Auroville”.