Auroville Witness would like to share a testimonial to Sir Mark Tully from the RA Working Committee. [Mark] Tully was a journalist, friend of Auroville, and chairman of the Auroville Advisory Council for twelve years. Following the memorial is a link to a statement from the International Advisory Council from March 2024 that he endorsed.
Originally published on a community WhatsApp group
Dear Community,
It is with sadness that we inform you of the passing of Sir Mark Tully, ex-Chairman of Auroville’s International Advisory Council.
Sir Mark Tully—a distinguished journalist, author, recipient of the Padma Bushan and Padma Shri, and long—standing friend of Auroville – passed away in New Delhi January 25th at the age of 90. He leaves behind a legacy of thoughtful engagement with India and a deep affinity with Auroville’s founding ideals.
Best known internationally as the BBC’s Chief of Bureau for South Asia, Mark Tully’s relationship with India went far beyond reportage. He was born in Kolkata and made India his home for most of his life, approaching it with humility, curiosity, and moral seriousness. These same qualities drew him repeatedly to Auroville, whose experimental spirit, commitment to regeneration, and aspiration for human unity he deeply admired.
Mark Tully maintained a long association with Auroville, serving for twelve years as Chairman of the International Advisory Council (IAC). In this role, he offered steady guidance during complex periods, combining respect for Auroville’s autonomy with a clear understanding of institutional responsibility. He consistently upheld human unity as the central principle of Auroville — not as an abstraction, but as a lived and evolving practice.
He was especially fond of visiting Auroville, appreciative of its work in ecological regeneration, its spirit of experimentation, and its willingness to venture into the unknown. He saw in Auroville not a finished model, but an “unending journey” — one that held high ideals while grappling honestly with practical challenges. This balance between vision and realism mirrored his own approach to journalism and public life.
In his reflections on India’s spiritual and cultural life, Mark Tully often spoke of the need to integrate the spiritual, material, and social dimensions of existence — a balance he recognized in Auroville’s ongoing experiment as a city of the future.
We hold his partner, Gillian Wright, and all those close to him, many here in Auroville, in our thoughts and prayers. May they find strength and peace in remembrance, and may his soul rest in quiet harmony, moving onward into the greater Light and Truth he sought with sincerity and humility.
With gratitude for his friendship and guidance,
Aravinda, Bharathy, Chali, Matthieu, Prashant, Valli
The Working Committee selected by the Residents’ Assembly
Statement on Auroville’s current situation by the International Advisory Council, endorsed by Mark Tully (Auroville Today, Issue No. 436, March 2024)
Excerpt: Since July 2021, the current administration of the Auroville Foundation has declared that [Auroville’s historical progress] amounts to very little, apparently taking the view that a “city “of concrete roads and buildings was the only way forward. Incomprehensibly, it has repeatedly shown deep contempt for Auroville’s afforestation, water management and rural development programmes, among other sterling accomplishments.