Twenty outspoken topics addressed to the Working Groups of the Governing board addressing questionable actions taken over the last four years.
Previously published 30 April 2026
A “significant sampling” of questions submitted to the Working Committee of the Foundation office, on 23.4.2026. Listed NOT in order of importance!
Annapurna farm, ecology and food security:
Considering the disastrous ecological consequences of the secretively concluded deal with IIT [Indian Institute of Technology] Madras, and the acute threat it poses to farming and food security of the whole of Auroville — an element given primary importance by the Mother! — and in the absence of any reasonable benefit to Auroville, can you please share what is being done to prevent the planned destruction of Auroville’s biggest and most productive farm?
Land exchanges:
As you will be aware, there are widespread, grave concerns about the exchange of Auroville lands, many of them purchased or donated with Mother’s approval and blessings, and the massive loss of value that Auroville has incurred through these opaque deals that do not follow established procedures. Kindly share with us the results of the enquiry ordered when the land deals were questioned in Lok Sabha [Lower House of Parliament]. Please give updates on how the Foundation’s Working Groups intend protecting Auroville against further dismembering of its physical body and massive, irreversible loss of land, value and assets, and whether the land donors (through the fundraising campaigns) are informed that their donations enable these land exchanges by providing the registration fees?
PKS case:
Can you please update the community of the status of the legal appeal by the Auroville Foundation to regain the possession of the lands grabbed by PKS in Evergreen?
Visa issues, disruption of human lives, and loss of Auroville’s international character:
The community remains extremely concerned about numerous visas pending, and some denied, as a result of the Secretary’s delay in signing the recommendation letters, or of negative remarks added by her. This has resulted in acute hardship for many families, separating children from their parents, uprooting life-long devoted members of Auroville, and generated generalised insecurity among the community. We observe a shrinking of Auroville’s non-Indian population, and hesitancy among potential newcomers, skewing the demographics away from Auroville’s purpose of being an international township devoted to unity in diversity.
Please shed some light on these recent changes, and how you see the trend developing in the foreseeable future? Can you please share if and how these concerns are being addressed?
RoR accessibility:
Kindly inform how community members can access the list of Aurovilians as per the RoR [Registry of Residents]. To our knowledge, maintaining an updated RoR is the one responsibility of the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation defined by the Auroville Foundation Act. Having access to a current list of its members is a natural requirement of any community.
Incidentally, a new Auroville phone and email directory would be timely and welcome.
Loss of Auroville enterprises; state of economy:
Many units and activities have been forcibly closed over the last 4 years, while others have had their founders or long-serving executives replaced. Kindly provide an update on how these changes have affected Auroville?
Maintenance cuts and Silver Fund:
Kindly provide some details regarding the number of maintenances (including students and children) that have been cut since 2021, in which fields of activity, whether reasons were provided and alternative means of sustenance offered?
Please also update on the status of the Silver Fund, how many elderly Aurovilians are affected by the non-availability of this community prosperity scheme?
Membership of the GB/Secretary-appointed various Working Groups:
Kindly update the community on who are the current members of the various Working Groups appointed by the GB/Secretary?
RoR and Working Group selection:
During the last meeting we were given to understand that the updating of the RoR has been pretty much completed. This — if we understood correctly — was the major obstacle to initiate the process as laid down in the Auroville Act of selecting a seven member Working Committee. Please confirm that the completion of the RoR validates the recent Selection Process for Auroville’s working groups, or if there is any concern, how it is to be resolved.
Parallel Working Groups and ATR:
Recently the Secretary of the AF has remarked that the existence of parallel Working Groups is not desirable. Presently the Foundation-appointed ATR has taken over the Entry process of aspiring Aurovilians, and even Aurovilians who had completed their Entry process in early 2025 have been forced to restart the process. Since the Auroville Foundation Act clearly stipulates that the power to admit and terminate names from the RoR is the exclusive domain of the Residents’ Assembly, can you give an indication as to when this will be duly returned to the RA?
“’Competent Authority”’:
The Auroville Community and its members have recently received a number of written directives and office orders “‘issued with the approval of the Competent Authority”’ but without any name associated with it. This non-transparent and disempowering practice is detrimental to the spirit of openness and collaboration expressed in invitations to community meetings. Can the community please be informed who is the “‘competent authority”’ responsible for the respective decisions?
Violence by members of Foundation office Working Groups:
Members of GB-selected WGs [Working Groups] have been reported to have had an active role in incidents of physical violence behaviour during the attempted destruction of the Youth Centre on 20 March, which has resulted in FIRs [First Information Report] being issued against them. Kindly inform the community whether the persons involved are currently under investigation by the Foundation Office, whether those associated with the Foundation office working groups will step back from their roles while inquiries are ongoing, and what measures are being taken to ensure accountability and aiming at building basic trust.
Youth Centre:
Auroville’s Youth Centre has been subjected to prolonged and extreme pressure from FO-appointed working groups, even after the buildings that had stood in the way of the Crown Road were demolished and the road built!
These pressure tactics include cutting off basic supplies like water and electricity, closing their financial accounts etc.
The Auroville community has always appreciated and supported its Youth Centre as a vital key for the unfolding of Auroville in accordance with its Charter. What is needed at this point it is not brutal and unlawful demolition and eviction, but sincere goodwill to allow the Youth Centre the necessary healing and a new start. We invite the FO working groups along with the residents to support this process through a spirit of respect, mutual trust and collaboration.
Tree cutting and compensatory tree planting:
Considering the massive, whole-sale felling of trees over the past 4+ years, many of them mature, including protected species and landmark trees, can you please clarify the following, repeatedly asked questions:
- Was permission sought and obtained by the TN [Tamil Nadu] Forest Department prior to the cutting?
- Why were the directives of the NGT [National Green Tribunal] and of the Joint committee appointed by the same tribunal (which worked with the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation) not followed in the case of Darkali?
- Has a list been maintained by ATDC [Auroville Town Development Council] of the number, species and maturity of trees cut, and can that list be accessed?
- Please update the community about the implementation of the compensatory tree planting, which was emphatically assured by the Foundation office. (Where, when, what kind and how many trees?)
Forest workers:
When Auroville’s foresters had their budgets cut, many loyal workers who had served for decades in planting and protecting Auroville’s forests had to be dismissed. In spite of all efforts, their gratuities are still pending. Please update the community as to when these workers will received their legally and ethically due gratuities.
Environmental impact of re-landscaping Auroville:
There are environmental and especially hydrogeological concerns relating to recent man-made changes of Auroville’s topography, notably the Matrimandir lake excavation, the disruption of Darkali’s water catchments, as well as Crown road engineering. Please share with the community any studies done of the impact of these changes on the bioregion’s surface and groundwater supply, and how the affected villages in our neighbourhood are informed and involved in the respective planning.
Participatory Planning as a key element for building Auroville:
In view of the importance of community-based, participatory planning and building of the Auroville township, as emphasised by Mother’s chief architect Roger Anger himself, the Crown Road construction had been preceded by a broadly-based Dreamweaving process, which was an impressive achievement yielding valuable results. As we all know, none of its outcomes found implementation in the building of the Crown Road which excluded any community participation.
What measures are being prepared to place the planning and building of Auroville back into the hands of the residents in a collaborative spirit, as intended by its chief architect?
Cinema Paradiso:
Kindly inform the community of the reason for changing the executives of Auroville’s community cinema. What is expected to be the future of Cinema Paradiso? Any action taken from your side, or any advice?
Visitors Centre / Cafeteria:
Can you please explain to the community why the executives of the Visitors’ Centre, and most recently, of the Right Path Cafeteria were dismissed and replaced without due process or transparent explanation?
Afsanah’s Guest House:
Kindly provide the community an understanding of the removal of the executives of this very successfully conducted guest house, and update on its current condition.
Files on individual residents:
There are widespread rumours, as well as residents’ accounts, that the Foundation office is keeping detailed files on Auroville residents. Can you please shed light on this subject, and let the residents know how they can access their respective files, for the sake of trust and transparency, and for restoring some of the health and integrity of our community‘s fabric?
By Anonymous
Previously published in News&Notes 1123, 30 April 2026