Auroville's monthly news magazine since 1988

Issue Nº415

Feb 2024 (21 months ago)
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A new world is born

Feature, By Alan

The Mother giving Terrace Darshan on the Golden Day of 29.2

The 29th February, 2024 will be the 17th ‘Golden Day’. The first one was celebrated on 29th February, 1960. An English visitor, Dick Batstone, described how the dominant colour in the Ashram compound that day was gold: Mother was dressed in gold, she stood on a gold silk cloth, her balcony was hung with golden embroidered satin, and even the flowers in the courtyard were gold.

The tree felling continues extensively

Feature

Felled Service Trees on a section of the recently completed Crown Road

On the 4th January, many people were shocked to see many Service trees (Peltophorum pterocarpum/ Copper Pod tree) being felled on the Crown between the Solar Kitchen and Mahalakshmi Home.

Statement issued by two members of the Auroville International Advisory Council

An open letter, By Gabi Gillessen and Michel Danino

This statement, issues on 4th January 2024, is issued in response to the indiscriminate feeling of numerous trees apparently for road construction, currently taking place in Auroville.

8th Auroville Film Festival

Feature, By Peter

4 FF 4

As befits chroniclers of our real lives, the organisers of the 8thAuroville Film Festival acknowledged in their address on the essence of the festival, the unique times Auroville is experiencing: ‘In the midst of the challenges we currently face, the Auroville Film Festival 2024 stands not as a conventional celebration but as a contemplative and reflective gathering.

Different worlds

Reflection, By Alan

One thing is evident at present: there is a complete breakdown in communication between those who favour the present developments and those who, for various reasons and to varying degrees, oppose it.

Making eye care available for all

A profile of Aurosugan, By Alan

Aurosugan being interviewed in Tanzania in 2019 after being selected as the Eye Health Hero by the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness(IAPB) for his work on sustainability in eye care

Aurosugan was born in Auroville. After completing an MBA in hospital administration, he worked at the Aravind Eye Hospital for many years. Recently he returned to Auroville and set up a primary eye centre here with ambitious plans to eliminate blindness in Auroville and the bioregion.

Awaiting the Unifying Symbol - an interview with Siegrun

An interview with Siegrun, By Peter

Siegrun

“The Transcendent Function is a psychic dynamic, if you want to transcend something you have to bring the opposites together. It can change everything, it is a transforming power and can be activated by sandplay, dreamwork, active imagination and other techniques which brings you to a different and wider levels of consciousness.

Returning to Plan “A”

Reflection, By John Harper

Amid the chaos of the crashing of Auroville’s facades, one can sense now, silently being born, but already immensely powerful, the re-emergence of Auroville’s orientation towards its true goal: a fundamental change of consciousness, the growth of a real, deep, unifying link between its residents, and another way of being.

Celebrating the Poetry and Beauty of Life

Art review, By Chandra

The central pond with ceramic art pieces

A ceramics art exhibition by Priya Sundaravalli. Priya’s fifth pottery exhibition, set against the backdrop of the gallery space at Pitanga, was a breathtaking confluence of artistic skill and poetic sensitivity.

Endless Game

Art review, By Peter

‘Field of Experience’ - Mixed media on aluminium - 122x80 cm

Dominique Jacques posed questions and changed the rules in her recent exhibition ‘Endless Game’. We’re used to visiting a gallery to see an art work with a little caption and then we are left to appraise it.

Reference article

Feature, By Pranav

Cover

This is a reference article. It demonstrates the layout options available to us. Note that this article is available only to those who have this link.

New Entry and Exit regulations The Governing Board (GB) has approved new ‘Admission and Termination of Persons in the Register of Residents Regulations’, and published them in part III of the Gazette of India on January 4th, 2024.

New Entry and Exit regulations: responses In response to the publication of the new Regulations, the RA-WCom initiated an Emergency Residents' Assembly Decision-making process. The residents were asked to pass a resolution that the new Regulations are an overreach by the GB and usurp the powers given to the Residents’ Assembly as per the Foundation Act, and that the Residents’ Assembly asserts its right to carry out its functions as detailed in the Auroville Foundation Act.

Auroville Foundation (Framework for Selection of Working Committee) Regulations, 2024. On January 12th, 2024, the GB published the Auroville Foundation (Framework for Selection of Working Committee) Regulations, 2024, in part III of the Gazette of India.

Responses to the Framework for Selection of Working Committee Regulations As the Framework for Selection of Working Committee Regulations appear to be in contravention of the Auroville Foundation Act which states in section 19.2 that “The manner of choosing the members of the Working Committee and their term of office shall be such as may be decided by the Residents Assembly”, concerned residents have collected signatures on a petition requesting the Residents’ Assembly Service (RAS) to open an Emergency Residents' Assembly Decision (E-RAD) “regarding the Governing Board’s questionable attempt to interfere with the selection process of WCom members.”

Minutes Governing Board meetings 2023 published More than two months after the Central Information Commissioner, an appeal authority under the Right to Information Act, reprimanded the Public Information Officer of the Auroville Foundation for not responding to Right for Information requests and not publishing the minutes of meetings of the Governing Board, the AVFO has published on its website the minutes of the GB’s 63rd, 64th and 65th meetings, held on February 16th, August 9th and December 12th 2023 respectively.

63rd GB meeting. Excerpts. In its 63rd meeting the GB approved the project proposal submitted by the EdCIL (India) Limited for the construction of 1,000-bed student hostel in two phases at Auroville.

64th GB meeting. Excerpts In its 64th meeting the Board asked the Secretary, Auroville Foundation to take necessary steps to streamline the housing allotment and regulate the housing according to The Mother's perception.

65th GB meeting. Excerpts. The Board in-principle approved the construction of a boundary wall around the inner circle of the outer ring road. As the costs of erecting a barbed wire fencing are cheaper to the tune of about 50% to the cost for prefabricated cement structure, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) submitted a revised quotation for Rs.18.69 crores.

City Services Contribution waivers cancelled The GB appointed Funds and Assets Management Committee (GB-FAMC) has cancelled all city services contribution waivers approved of by former BCCs or FAMCs for individuals, services and units before March 2023.

New housing policy The FAMC and Housing Service have announced a new housing policy, which has been endorsed by the Governing Board. Some of the key points include: An Auroville House User cannot be the user of more than one housing asset at a time; residential buildings shall be used only for residential use and cannot be converted into guest houses, homestays, offices or any other use; residential buildings cannot be used for any activities involving personal gain (e.g. renting or leasing of the residential building or parts thereof, use as an office for non-Auroville activities); an Auroville house user who wishes to leave Auroville for a period longer than one month, due to which the house or apartment in which the house will be unoccupied, must intimate the Housing Service so that a temporary house sitter can be accommodated during the absence of the Auroville resident; in case an Auroville house user leaves Auroville permanently, the house or apartment will be re-allocated by the Housing Service in accordance with the provisions of this policy; inheritance rights do not apply to Auroville properties since all properties are legally owned by Auroville Foundation, and not by persons who are using these properties.

New donation channeling process The establishment of the Donation Channeling Group (DCG) was approved by the Governing Board in their 65th meeting held on 12th Dec 2023. The DCG team will roll out the donation channeling process from 1st April 2024, the start of the new financial year.

Closures at Visitors Centre The Kiosk Cafe (as well as the Dosa Corner space (Cafeteria upstairs) have been ordered to close by the Visitors Centre executives, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary.

Auroville Safety and Security On 19 January 2024, five of the six Aurovilian members of the Auroville Safety & Security Team (AVSST) received an email from the Budget Coordination Group (BCC) informing them that "BCC & FAMC are unable to support maintenance on your current positions.

Earthbound pottery festival The inaugural edition of the Earthbound Pottery Festival – a convergence of artistic expression and cultural celebration – took place over three days at the Alliance Francaise in mid January.

Pongal celebrations The three-day Pongal festivities began with a colourful celebration at Alankuppam on Monday, January 15, 2024. This was organised by the Mohanam Village Heritage Centre, who put on this festival every year to introduce the traditional practices of the Tamil population living in the villages surrounding Auroville to those unfamiliar with these customs.

Shaktikumbh 2024 The Unity Pavilion and Shaktikumbh 2024 organising team are inviting the community to participate in what they describe as “a unique nine day spiritual and experiential immersion based on the philosophical significance of numbers in an integrated Indian context” between 21—29 February in the Unity Pavilion.