Censorship

One of the many things which have changed in Auroville over the past four years is the contraction and virtual disappearance of public discourse, meaning the free exchange of ideas and perspectives between Aurovilians in a public forum.

Almost 37 years ago, on a rainy day in November, 1988, the first issue of Auroville Today was published. The main theme was the Auroville Foundation Act, which had just been passed by the Government of India.

Four years into this crisis, I find myself searching for clarity on how we move forward. Yesterday, I came across a series of writings by Shannon Willis on Soft Rebellion that articulated what many of us have been intuitively practicing all along.

In the previous issue of Auroville Today we published the major considerations and decisions of the Governing Board as reported in the minutes of its 67th Governing Board meeting held in Auroville on 31 May 2024.

Krishna Devanandan has a background as a dancer, cultural event organiser and teacher of Tai Chi. She helped organise the Auroville Film Festivals and managed the Auroville Art Service from its inception in 2012 until 2023, when the Auroville Foundation appointed new executives.

After a year and a half of publishing, the editors of the RA edition of the News and Notes have decided to limit the edition to content that strengthens community-building in Auroville, more specifically on working group announcements and reports, residents’ voices and personal sharings, some cultural events, and information from essential services.

The Auroville Council reminded the community that in December 2022, following instructions from the Auroville Foundation Office (AVFO), the Auroville News & Notes (N&N) began censoring the content received from a portion of the Residents’ Assembly.

Sri Aurobindo spoke of free speech as being “an essential requisite for promoting and guarding the true well-being of the people”. The issue of free speech and expression in Auroville has simmered away beneath the surface for many years.