Issue Nº416

Mar 2024 (20 months ago)
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Features

February is the time when we celebrate Mother’s birthday and the birthday of Auroville

Editorial — By Editors

One of the cleared forested areas opposite Samasti community

February is the time when we celebrate Mother’s birthday and the birthday of Auroville, as well as, this year, the ‘Golden Day’, and we enjoy a plethora of events and inaugurations.

The challenges of being Chairman of the AVI Board

An interview with Pragna (Christian Feuillette) — Alan

Christian Feuillette has been Chairman of the Board of Auroville International (AVI) for the past four years, some of which were possibly the most challenging in AVI’s, as well as Auroville’s, history.

Spiral Dynamics and Auroville

An interview with David Nightingale — Alan

At present, many people are trying to make sense of what is happening in Auroville. The writings of Sri Aurobindo and Mother are an obvious aid to understanding, but Spiral Dynamics may also provide a useful lens through which to view the current situation and possible next steps.

The Auroville farms are stagnating

An interview with Avinash, Nidhin and Madhuri — Carel

“Enhance Auroville food production to meet the needs of Auroville...” – View point of the Governing Board as recorded in the minutes of the 57th meeting.

A new dreamweaving initiative

Feature

In this diagram from last July’s Dreamweaving presentation Omar, Mona and David were proposing a range of processes that can lead to decision-making – including spaces for new proposals – but where the centre has been left open for a new, ‘higher’, proce

In August last year, Omar, Mona and David made a presentation to the community about the next steps they envisaged after the Dreamweaving on the Crown experiment [see AV Today no.

The Silence Forest assessment

Feature — By Carel

Silence Forest, an 11.2-acre green enclave neighbouring the Vérité community, is little known, even to many Aurovilians. In 2023, five research students from the University of Pondicherry, who were volunteering for the Auroville unit Yuvabe and were mentored by two professors, studied the flora and fauna of the forest and its ability to sequester carbon, conserve water, and increase resilience to adverse climate events.

Inky Onky

Art review — By Peter

Between 29th January and 10th February, in the Centre d’Art there was an exhibition of drawings by Ongkie Tan, titled ‘Inky Onky’. Ongkie Tan’s art is sharp, detailed, with a whirr of strokes, mostly in his trademark inky black and occasional subtle colours.

“I am prayer only”

Book review — By Carel and Christine

This 280 page book is a tribute to Kireet Joshi composed by two of his close Auroville friends, Frederick Schulze Buxloh and Alain Bernard.

The Never-Dying Fire: The Life and Thought of Sri Aurobindo

Book review — By Alan

It takes a brave individual to write a biography of Sri Aurobindo. This is because Sri Aurobindo himself doubted the value of such an attempt – “Why write my biography at all?

It’s about ‘Belonging’

An interview with Auma — Chandra

Auma is a second-generation Aurovilian, born to Indian and French pioneers, Marie Babu and André Tardeil. While she raises her third generation child, she shares insights with us about what makes Auroville unique to her.

Statement on Auroville’s current situation

Feature — By Gabi Gillessen, Michel Danino, David Stein and Mira Nakashima

Issued by two members of the International Advisory Council and supported by eight International personalities

Futile rumours or plausible scenarios? Extracts from a personal reflection by Christian Feuillette

Reflection — By Pragna (Christian Feuillette)

Over the past three years, the government of India, Auroville’s host country, which had been a rather discreet and benevolent partner in previous decades, has decided to precipitate the course of events and intervene vigorously in the Town’s construction.

News in Brief

Madras High Court's Interim stay on regulations On January 23rd, the Madras High Court ordered an interim stay of the two new regulations approved by the Governing Board and published by the Secretary, Auroville Foundation, in the Gazette of India, e.g. the Auroville Foundation (Admission and Termination of Persons in the Register of Residents) Regulations 2023, and the Auroville Foundation (Framework for Selection of Working Committee) Regulations 2024.

Emergency RAD on WCom selection In early February, before the High Court passed its interim order, an Emergency Residents' Assembly Decision (RAD) had been initiated through a petition signed by more than 300 members of the Residents’ Assembly (RA) to approve or disapprove the following resolution:

Students’ exposure tours Nearly a hundred students from across India participated in week long exposure tours to Auroville in early February organised by the Ministry of Education under the Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat (EBSB) programme.

MOU with IGNCA On 27th February, in a ceremony in Delhi, The Auroville Foundation and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) entered into a Memorandum of Understanding to foster cross-cultural understanding and promote artistic exchanges and to advance the teachings and vision of Sri Aurobindo.

Call for another Emergency RAD Concerned residents have initiated a call for an Emergency Residents’ Assembly decision on (1) extending the emergency functions of the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) and (2) authorising the RA-WCom to do the work of the Funds and Assets Management Committee (RA-FAMC) of the Residents’ Assembly.

Safety and Security Team stopped On 19th January, 5 out of 6 Aurovilian members of the Auroville Safety & Security Team (AVSST) received an email from the BCC informing them that the Foundation appointed BCC & FAMC “are unable to support maintenance on your current positions”.

auroville.org.in email addresses unsafe A group of concerned residents have warned all Aurovilians that the Auroville email addresses ending with the suffix "@auroville.org.in" are not secure and can be read, and that certain email addresses are blocked since the email administration was taken over under the office of the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation and is managed by unknown persons.

Request to inform of visa issues The RA-Wcom has requested all those who have had or are having issues getting a letter of recommendation for new visas or for extensions of existing visas to contact them.

Auroville’s birthday and the Golden Day Auroville’s birthday was celebrated, as usual, with the Dawn fire at the Amphitheatre. On 29th February, the Golden Day, there was a morning meditation at the Amphitheatre, and an evening programme of a musical offering from Kim Cunio and Heather Lee, accompanied by musician friends from Svaram and beyond.

The Auroville Marathon Sports and fitness enthusiasts from far and near participated in the 14th edition of the Auroville Marathon that was held in various distance categories on Sunday 18th February.

A month crammed full of events As usual, February has experienced a plethora of cultural and other events. These included performances by the Auroville Choir, an international conference on the revival and promotion of Sanskrit, a four day gathering in Unity Pavilion entitled Toward a Collective Awakening: Experiments in Evolution conceived as a follow-up to the Summit held in Auroville in February 2023 to facilitate consciousness change at a collective, The Auroville Festival – a weeklong festival including discussions on diverse topics and daily cultural performances – the Shakti Kumbh event in Unity Pavilion entitled Regenerative Renaissance of Mother India: Revitalising Bharata Shakti, three conferences on the relationship between spiritual and social life organised by the Pavillon de France, yoga activities, chanting and sound meditation in the Matrimandir Amphitheatre, a chanting and bhajan performance at SAWCHU, and a week of events in Mother’s Flower Garden.

In Memoriam

Fali Nariman

In memoriam: — By Frederick

The Residents of Auroville express their profound grief at the passing of eminent jurist Fali Nariman on 21st February 2024 who, on more than one occasion, helped the development of Auroville by acting in court or by giving valuable legal opinions.

Sylvia Zimmerman

In memoriam:

Sylvia Zimmerman, who lived in Surrender, passed away in the evening of February 4th. Sylvia had come to join Auroville in 1999, after a long worldwide search and experiences in different spiritual places and communities.

Shakuntala Patel

In memoriam:

On February 20th, Shakuntala Patel passed away at her residence in Swayam. She was 78 years old. Shakuntala came to Pondicherry and Auroville in the early 1970s and spent many years here.

Subramaniam M.

In memoriam:

Subramanian M. passed away on February 28th following a train accident at Thambaram nearby Chennai. He was 72 years old. Subramaniam joined Auroville in 1984 and first lived in Fertile Windmill (Baraka), then at the Matrimandir workers camp, and when that got dissolved, in Prayatna.