Issue Nº411 – News in brief

Dr. M.S Swaminathan, distinguished agricultural scientist and the leader of India’s Green Revolution, passed away on Thursday 28 September, at the age of 98. He was the founder and chief of the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation in Chennai, the organisation that played a key role in India’s ‘Green Revolution’, developing high yielding rice varieties that boosted the income and productivity of poor farmers.

Auroville was honoured to have him as Chairman of the Auroville Foundation from 1997-99, and saw him as a committed friend and adviser ever since. In 2002, during a filmed interview for Swiss TV, Dr. Swaminathan said: “Auroville stands for fulfillment through work, work which is meaningful, work which can regenerate the environment, which can regenerate the human spirit, and can create more love and understanding and compassion among people. So, I think its message is very relevant to today’s world as after the September 11th events this is the message of hope."

On 12th August last year, the case regarding the legitimacy of the Residents Assembly working groups was judged in favour of the RA. Soon after, on 26th August, the AVFO appealed the case, and obtained a temporary stay on the judgement, pending the outcome of the appeal. The case was heard on 4th September 2023. A mass bulletin from the RA WCom informed that “the Hon'ble judges noted that the RA is a statutory body…allowing the RA to function on the condition that no policy decision is taken that would change the structure of the Auroville Foundation. This removes impediments and restrictions on the functioning of the RA and its Working Committee, subject to the above condition.” The RA WC clarified that this is only a modification of the interim order of stay granted earlier. The main appeal is still pending before the Madras High Court, with the next hearing scheduled on 27th September, 2023.

A new writ petition by an affected resident asking the court to intervene in the planned ‘Outer Ring Road’ was not admitted by the Madras High Court, as the said resident had been offered another house. The order confirms the functions of the RA to formulate the Master Plan and do Admissions and Terminations, but also states that “Auroville houses are the property of the Auroville Foundation, and the Governing Board has the full legal right to do with them as they see fit. Individual Aurovilians, who are the "third party" that the judgement speaks of, have no right to claim any say over Auroville assets: they are allowed to use it or not, as the Governing Board decides.” 

On 19th September, Michael Bonke presented to the community future plans for the Matrimandir lake. This includes an underwater reservoir for drinking water, the first in the world, sufficient to support 50,000 Aurovilians for 100 days; and the development of hydro-power storage directly linked to a solar plant towards making Auroville independent of the TNEB grid. He said that work on the first section of the lake had confirmed that deep water storage using HDPE foil is successful so a 10 metre deep lake is feasible. He also pointed out that evaporation would be much less at this depth than in a shallower lake. He also explained that islands or peninsulas in the lake would interfere with the current, which is essential for oxygenation of the water, and that trees on isolated islands in the lake could not survive. 

One of the points raised was that tests on the test lake had not been completed, and therefore it was premature to continue with new excavations. However, Michael said that studies done elsewhere in the world confirmed the feasibility of what they were doing. 

An open letter, sent after the meeting and signed by a number of Aurovilians, appreciated his presentation but asked that a plan of this magnitude be peer-reviewed by eminent experts, especially those working in our climate zone. It also questioned the extent of the present lake excavation as Mother’s original drawing, which Michael had shown at the meeting, suggested the lake would be smaller. And it made an urgent appeal: ‘Please consider beauty as equally important as technology’. 

In June 2023, for 2 days, workers employed by the AVFO Land Board, cut a total of 1,863 trees aged between 3-15 years old in Revelation Forest Sanctuary. Most of the trees were rare evergreen species which are slow growing and can take around 200 years to mature. The RA TDC wrote to the Secretary and the AVFO Land Board, copying several of Tamil Nadu’s ministers in the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stating that “this has a huge impact, which unfortunately cannot easily be quantified, to biodiversity loss and a young, yet functional, ecosystem”. 

In an accompanying letter, the RA TDC urged the Secretary and the AVFO Land Board to consider the environmental impact of the current rushed implementation of the Master Plan, not just to Auroville itself but also in the wider context of the earth’s climate crisis. 

The RA TDC reminds people that all areas in Auroville fall under the ruling of the National Green Tribunal judgement of 28.04.2022, which states that no further construction is to be started in any area of the project (except the Crown where there are no trees) until proper township plans have been prepared, and prior Environmental Clearance has been granted. Hence, any activity in regard to cutting of trees or construction/development is in violation of this judgement.

The Foundation Office is reportedly considering exchanging 22 acres in the heart of Forecomers and Ravena communities for poramboke land in the City Centre area. Forecomers was so named by Mother because it was the first settlement of Auroville, and at present it is part of the largest contiguous forested area in Auroville. The edge of Forecomers forest is only one kilometre away from Pondicherry airport, and two kilometres from where settlements begin in Puducherry and Kottakupam, so it is an important buffer zone between Auroville and Pondicherry. The community of Success, which borders it on the west, was home to the first tree nursery of Auroville. If the planned exchange goes through, it would be separated from the rest of the forest. 

Embroiled in a land issue, as seven members of the neighbouring panchayats claimed that part of Solitude Farm was partially built on temple land. Krishna, the manager of Solitude Farm, reports that the panchayat leaders were told by the Foundation Office that he was not given that land by Auroville but was occupying it, which, he says, was strange since he has been farm

Solitude Farm has been occupying the land since 1996. He has also been asked to leave his house to make way for the Outer Ring Road.  

On 11th September, the Forest Group wrote to the FO FAMC and FO BCC requesting that they fulfil financial obligations to fifty forest workers, some of whom have worked in Auroville forests for over forty years. Since these groups stopped financial support of forest workers, many may have to be laid off, gratuity payments amounting to over 41.5 lakhs are owed, as well as one month pay in lieu of notice, which amounts to a further 5 lakhs. The Forest Group wrote “The employees have been informed of the situation and these employees now require that their gratuity is paid by the BCC, from the "Gratuity AV services" account, according to the precedence of the last 15 years. It is also only felt fair that since no notice of termination of employment was issued by yourselves, then a month’s wage in lieu of notice should be paid”. The AVFO groups have not yet replied, but had previously indicated that no gratuity payments would be given to the forest workers. 

Auroville Green (Belt) Services is a new group formed by the FO FAMC.  A few of the existing Forest Group members decided to join the newly formed group, but the Forest Group clarified that these members joined this group in their personal capacity and in no way are a voice of the Forest Group.

On 18th September, the RA Working Committee shared an open letter in which they state that they “are aware that many of us struggle to stay positive and not give in to exhaustion and fear and a feeling of helplessness at the destruction and lack of humanity that seems to go on with no consequence”. They add, “We understand the fear that is felt by many and we don't judge it or the reasons for it, but we hope this won't be the place we each choose to act from. Fear is useful, it informs us where the danger lies. But it's not a good decision-maker. We call on us all to act from a space of collective aspiration, hope, and faith.” 

The ongoing works on the Crown Road, which have slowed or halted on some stretches, combined with summer monsoon rains, have caused difficult travelling conditions.  As the new road is higher than the surrounding areas in most places, and the stormwater channels appear to be inadequate to catch rainwater, the bypasses alongside the Crown have become dangerous in some places because they flood easily. In fact, a car was already stranded in the mud near the Youth Center.

Furthermore, the prefabricated concrete blocks which pave the road have many holes in them, which were necessary when the crane listed them into position.  Unless these holes are filled, they may cause injuries to wandering cows and goats, leading to tensions with the villagers, as well as becoming mosquito breeding grounds in the monsoon season.

On 19th August 2023, the team working at the Visitors’ Center (VC) Information Service was instructed by email to remove all written material by 1st September 2023. The mail, sent by the Foundation Office appointed Visitors Centre executives, stated that the intention was to “move and merge the book selling activity into the space that is presently taken up by the AV Papers book shop; [and] to end the activities of the information giving activity in the VC campus, as this will be taken up by the VC executives”.  The information team has been told that they may continue to communicate information to visitors verbally. 

The FO FAMC, in association with the Housing Service Team, is initiating a survey of the income generating and service units to gather asset-related information from these units to update the database. The information required includes size of the asset, number of employees, water supply/electric supply, waste disposal details, and vehicles used.

Videos of the presentations made at the Auroville Literature Festival on 25th-27th August have now been released online.  For more information visit aurovillelitfest.org or write to aurovillelitfest@auroville.org.in

Youthlink, which is a diverse group of youth from Auroville who work towards creating a positive impact in Auroville, invited all residents to a ‘Blind Babble Event’ on 14th Sept. The idea was to provide a safe environment in which people could discuss a wide range of topics. Attendees were provided with a stack of cards, each one containing a unique question meant to encourage deep thought and creative verbal expression.