GB-FAMC

On 13 August, the managers of Annapurna Farm received an email signed by three working groups constituted by the Governing Board – the Funds and Assets Management Committee, L’Avenir d’Auroville (Auroville’s Town Development Council) and the Farm Service – stating: “It has been decided to allocate 100 acres of Auroville land at Annapurna for the IIT [Indian Institute of Technology, eds.]

In 1989, more than three decades ago, a retired British police sergeant and school welfare officer visited Auroville. Having recently lost his wife, Roy Wicks was in search of new meaning and purpose.

It all started in September 1998. Jean-François and I were at home when a group of teenagers, familiar faces from the Auroville schools, walked in with a quiet determination.

The Working Committee selected by the Residents’ Assembly (RA-WCom) has vacated its temporary office in Kailash, an educational youth residency under SAIIER, after the Funds and Assets Management Committee constituted by the Governing Board (GB-FAMC) instructed the Kailash caretakers and residents to hand over the building to the Housing Service by the end of May. [see article on page ….]

The GB-FAMC informed the community that it has begun “a renewed effort to grow and strengthen Auroville’s economy, building on the groundwork laid in recent years around compliance, transparency and financial structure”.

The GB-FAMC informed the managers of small guest houses that the Financial Services accounts of these guest houses would be closed by 15 June 2025 and requested the managers to cancel any future bookings.

The GB-FAMC recently published “Procedures and Guidelines for the use and allocation of an Auroville residential asset,” aimed at transforming how housing is managed within Auroville.

Claude and Abha have been living in Auroville since 1974 and 1978 respectively. For the last 45 years, Abha has been running the handicraft unit Shradhanjali while Claude has become a scholar who has authored several books and articles on Tibet, China, India and on Indo-French relations.

The RA-WCom has challenged the authority of the GB-FAMC which it described as “a group of individuals attempting to impose control over the rest of the community when it has not been selected by the Residents’ Assembly and does not respond to calls of collaboration or transparency.”

The GB-FAMC has recently halted the transfer of some donations received by Auroville to the beneficiaries, in some cases stating that “there are few concerns that should be clarified with you, based on proven feedback.”

The Auroville Farm Group reported that the Gratitude experimental Demo Farm project, launched in October 2022 by the GB-FAMC as a two-year initiative to develop natural precision farming methods in Auroville, for which half an acre was set apart and which was developed by a few non-Aurovilians with a subsidy from the Auroville Foundation of 4.75 lakhs [see AVToday # 399 of October 2022], has been abruptly terminated after 1.5 years and that its half-acre of land was handed back to the GB-FAMC.

On 25 November 2024, the AVFO Officer on Special Duty, Dr G. Seetharaman, issued a new Standing Order detailing residence criteria and a code of conduct for all Residents, Newcomers, volunteers and permanent guests in Auroville, which came into effect immediately.

But I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams. WB Yeats Death has been haunting me of late.

Annapurna, Auroville’s largest farm, is in financial difficulties. The managers say it is because the stewards’ maintenances have been cut by the FO FAMC, along with poor management decisions by Foodlink which has outstanding payments of Rs 3 lakhs to the farm, and problems with Annapurna’s dairy.

Concerned residents have submitted a petition to the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly (RA-Wcom), signed by 540 Aurovilians, regarding recent decisions made by the FAMC appointed by the Governing Board (GB-FAMC).

On behalf of the RA-WCom, a legal notice has been served to the GB-FAMC. Taking into account all the facts, the RA-WCom directs the GB-FAMC (1) to immediately cease dealing with and conspiring with imposters posing as the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly of Auroville in contempt of the orders of the Madras High Court; (2) to immediately cease and desist from making any changes to the executives/trustees/managers of the units and Trusts of Auroville without the written and express approval of the Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly till final decisions have been given in the matters pending before the Madras High Court; and (3) to take necessary steps to restore all maintenance support that was being given from community generated funds to those working in community services and groups selected by the community.

In a note to the community, the Auroville School Board shared that schools’ financial situation has become more difficult since July of 2024.

In April 2022, units and projects that had been receiving donations from abroad were informed that the Funds and Assets Management Committee constituted by the Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation had come up with a process to ensure compatibility with the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA).

The RA-Working Committee and the RA-Town Development Committee sent a joint note to the community advising to disregard notices sent by the GB-FAMC with the request to vacate at the earliest the Auroville assets they are stewarding to make way for roads or ‘lines of force’.

The (RA-WCom) informed the community that on March 11th, a number of current and former members of the Auroville Council received an email notice from the Funds and Assets Management Committee constituted by the Governing Board (GB-FAMC) that the unauthorised users of the Auroville Council meeting room on the first floor of the Town Hall have to vacate by March 15th and that strict action will taken against violators and unauthorised users.

In February, Auroville’s Centre for Research in Performing Arts (CRIPA) – a constantly-in-use and free-to-use performance and rehearsal venue – and the Pitanga Cultural Centre, were informed by the GB-FAMC that their funding would be reduced to partial or zero support from April 1st, 2024.

“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.

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.

At the request of the GB-FAMC and GB-BCC, SAIIER have prioritised the maintenance and budget 2024-2025 of all of SAIIER’s sub-units, which has led to a number of artistic and cultural units and activities having their budgets and maintenances cut.

On 18th November, a meeting was organised by Community Connect for the four working groups that work with the AVF – the WC, the FAMC, the ATDC and an alternative RAS – to make presentations and answer questions from community members.

In June, two members of the Funds and Assets Management Committee appointed by the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation (FO-FAMC) sent an email announcing that this FAMC will stop maintenance payments as well as the regular Forest budget to green workers from July onwards.

The GB appointed Funds & Assets Management Committee (GB-FAMC) announced that it is proposing a new housing facility ‘Prosperity model’ “so that every working Aurovilian will be able to have a house in Auroville ''.

The GB FAMC and Prosperity Services have jointly launched a Prosperity experiment for a three month period. A group of around 100 Aurovilians and Newcomers of various nationalities, backgrounds and family situations will do a practical experiment to follow Mother’s guidelines as expressed in Her Dream.