Issue Nº409 – News in brief

The Working Committee of the Residents' Assembly (RA-WCom) has stated in an open letter that it is exhausted and pained by the state of affairs in Auroville, with multiple cases in Indian courts and takeovers continuing. But the RA-WCom emphasized that the courts cannot build the Auroville of tomorrow. “This incredible Dream that we are all here to serve must be safeguarded and further manifested with our joint efforts, and our collective holding.” It called on all Aurovilians to help and document any wrongdoings, keep the RA working groups informed, initiate and sign petitions and statements, support working groups with their many tasks and responsibilities, help coordinate emergency responses, take part in conversations about building tomorrow’s Auroville, and support financially those who have been targeted with a maintenance or budget cut.

Since the first week of June 2023, the Land Board appointed by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation has been clearing areas of Revelation Forest, one of Auroville’s largest forests, to prepare for the Outer Ring Road under direction of the Auroville Foundation appointed Town Development Council (FO–ATDC). On June 12th, they were stopped by the stewards and other residents. The Forest Group, in a statement, noted that the Master Plan (Perspective 2025) does not include the Outer Ring Road, and that the National Green Tribunal has prohibited development and clearing of greenery in Auroville outside of the Crown until a proper township plan has been made and environmental clearance obtained. 

The Funds and Assets Management Committee appointed by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation (FO-FAMC) and its subgroup the Budget Coordination Committee (FO-BCC) have cut all Aurovilian maintenances and all workers’ salaries of the Forest Group, and over 75% of the maintenances of Aurovilians working for farms. These cuts were communicated to only a few members of either group in emails signed by only two members of the FO FAMC and were implemented immediately. Also maintenance support to children has been cut alongside that of their parents in the case of Forest Group. This is the first time the Children's’ Maintenances have been cut – despite the fact that the FAMC and BCC of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-FAMC and RA-BCC) had amended the Children's’ Maintenance guidelines in October 2021, making all children eligible for this support regardless of the maintenance status of their parents.

So far, a total of 121 adult Aurovilians have seen their maintenance support cut by the FO-FAMC and FO-BCC, amounting to 13.6% of the Aurovilians supported by a City Services maintenance. The RA-BCC reported that, to its knowledge, no Bridging Maintenances or gratuity settlements have been made available to the Aurovilians and employees impacted.

Food Link serves as an intermediary service between farms and consumers. On June 20th, two long-standing executives of Food Link who have been working there for 25 and 7 years respectively were dismissed without prior notice or explanation or following due process. This dismissal was done by the new “Farm Service” constituted by the Office of the Secretary. This group also announced that the FO-FAMC and the Farm Service are restructuring Foodlink and that the Farm Group – a working group that the farmers have created to enable better communication and to help them in their work – no longer exists and that all relevant matters concerning farming must be addressed to the Farm Service. 

The Auroville Farm Group has sent an open letter to the FO-FAMC and the newly created Farm Service questioning their decision to request Ayarpadi Farm to give up five acres of their cultivated land to be used by volunteers to explore a farming future. They reminded the groups that farms are not just fields, but carefully set up entities. It advises that volunteers join an existing farm of their choice for a few years and learn farming in Auroville’s challenging reality, after which they can be allocated land to farm on their own, or are now allocated Auroville plots which are not yet being farmed. The Farm Service stated that a new way of looking at our farming is a necessity as many crops that Auroville produces are not used in the community and a large part of what is being used in Auroville comes from outside.

The FO-ATDC announced that it will no longer approve new and replacement borewells in the Auroville City area. Exceptions will be made only if no other water supply possibilities are available. The FO-ATDC explained that “Auroville has more than 100 borewells for a small number of people. Historically this has grown on a community basis but the future growth requests a more professional and sustainable approach.”

The Donation Channeling Group set up by the Foundation Office clarified a new procedure regarding donations for Auroville projects. For the registration of projects for which donations are already being received or for which donations are proposed to be raised, an on-line Project Registration Form (PRF) has been designed which needs to be uploaded on a designated portal. 

Projects seeking donations for the first time have to register before starting the process of fundraising (contacting potential donors), including approaching the AVIs. Only registered projects will be able to access the donation website(s). Approvals of registrations will normally be done within seven working days of submission. Rejection will be done only after discussion with the project holders and with the FAMC.

An increasing number of Aurovilians are receiving recommendation letters for visa extensions from the AVFO that state that they are obstructing development or engaged in anti-government activities. Ongoing cases have been referred to Delhi.

A new service unit “Aware Auroville”, with members appointed by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation, is bringing out a monthly online newsletter called Auroville Timeless. For more information write to timeless@auroville.org.in. Two issues have so far been published.

Two issues of the online newsletter Voice of Auroville, a publication endorsed by the RA-WCOM, which present an overview of what has been happening in Auroville over the past two years, have been posted. Write to voiceofauroville@auroville.services.

Two of the team members newly appointed by the AVFO to manage Auroville’s guest houses have demanded that all guest house managers hand over their reservations list and immediately cease to take bookings. The reason given is for the “restructuring” of the hospitality sector in Auroville which would see guest houses split into two categories - “high quality” accommodation which would be restructured into a centrally managed “Auroville Hotel Chain”, and “budget accommodation” which would be used to house volunteers and long term guests. As many guest houses rely on last minute reservations, particularly in the summer, preventing them from taking bookings could create immediate financial problems. There has not been any indication on whether financial support will be given to those Aurovilians who may lose their source of income.