Establishment of paramilitary forces in Auroville

The Governing Board recently approved the stationing of 15 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) members in Auroville for five years “to safeguard Auroville’s development zones and uphold law and order”, as well as the development of a new security complex with a “master control room”. The CRPF is India’s largest paramilitary force, used for internal security and counter-insurgency operations. This decision marks a sharp digression from the Mother’s vision of Auroville as a place without army or police.