Issue Nº364 – In Memoriam

Nilesh Premji Nisar, of Arc-en-Ciel community, passed away on Tuesday, 5th November, at the Kidney Centre in Pondicherry. He was 49. He had suffered from weak kidneys for some time and had needed frequent dialysis treatment.

Hailing from Bombay, Nilesh, Geeta his wife and their young son, Aditya, arrived in Auroville in 2000. He had a clear penchant for business and started working in a number of places, including Upasana and Naturellement. Later the couple developed the 'Natraj' unit, which developed a reputation with food connoisseurs and conscious consumers for high-quality food products. He also supported Auroville's commercial units in discovering new markets and retail outlets across India.

His remains were cremated at Auroville's Cremation Grounds near Adventure on the afternoon of the 6th November.

It was a profound shock for the community when it was announced that four bodies of one family – Sundar (Sundharamurthy Murugesan, 40 years old)), his wife Mahesh (Maheshwari (35)) and their two daughters Kirthiga (17) and Samichsha (13) – had been discovered in their house in Auromodele on 17th November. While the reason behind the deaths remains unclear, it was reported that the parents were experiencing severe financial difficulties.

Sundar originally came from Kuilapalayam and Mahesh from Periyamudaliarchavady. Both attended Auroville schools. Sundar’s main work was with the Dental Clinic, where he worked as technician, general assistant and handyman. Mahesh had worked for more than 20 years at the Solar Kitchen. Their daughters, Kirthiga and Samichsha, were attending New Era Secondary School.

On the late afternoon of 18 October, the four bodies were buried at Auroville’s funeral grounds near Adventure with many people attending. On Thursday 24th a meditation in memory of the family took place around the Peace Table in the Unity Pavilion. Now there is an urgent need for the community to reflect deeply upon and learn from this tragic loss.