Update: Dated: 8th August 2021
Crown Way & the Auroville Way
Article in The Hindu: The Government's intention to reset Auroville
Post visits of the Secretary to the communities which have encroached into the Crown Way, a press release was sent by the Auroville propaganda team to many media houses and it states verbatim as follows : “Dr Jayanti ravi, ias, secretary of the auroville foundation has issued a work order for the Crown to be cleared by August 15. This may be 25 m wide. No environmental assessment has been done to find out numbers of trees and the species that will be cut down. Some species are so rare they are not even listed in the text on the rarity of species. The question to be asked of the auroville foundation is whether or not the work order has been issued The second question to be asked to them is the detailed information on how many trees of each species will be cut. The issue of the Crown has been a contentious issue in the community for years and this sudden high handed decision is a shock. Though the decision was made and the work order issued earlier, the Secretary has invited the community for a sudden meeting on Saturday at 7am to walk the Crown together.” It closes stating “If anyone wants an interview, they can ask to speak with Mr. Hemant lamba hemant@auroville.org.in of the working Committee. If they want to know about the environmental impact they can speak with Mr. Island lescure island@auroville.org.in"
Post this and our Article on the Land Squatters against Crown Road, the Secretary appealed to the encroachers once again.
An enquiry committee report has been “pending” in the Ministry, lots of chances have been given for cover-ups and news of the fight of two powerful lobbies leaking out, they must surrender their properties at the earliest. There has been no clarity on the same officially yet, although, yesterday in a gathering few Aurovilians discussed a #Toolkit against the Mother’s Dream and the actions of the Secretary of Auroville.
We hope Dr. Jayanti Raviji has the best advice possible since it is seen that the old team of the Auroville Foundation is still retained which includes Under Secretary & Accused Officer, Srinivas Murthy, the Finance officer who stated that Corruption can never be abolished in Auroville and notably the P.A. of ex-chairman Dr. Karan Singh is now the PA of the Secretary. Also, her closest contact in the Working Committee seems to be Hemant Lamba himself.
And with the anniversary of Sri Aurobindo nearing and Hemant Lamba being in charge of Government Grants of the anniversary expenses, none want to ruffle feathers. The nexus of Auroville corruption cuts across party lines, and the time is nearing for the Government of India to show seriousness to restoring the legacy of the Mother. Aurovilians should have self reflection and we must know how Aurovilian are Aurovilians?
#Masterplan #Auroville #Aurovillelife #Aurovillefiles #SriAurobindo #TheMother #CityofDawn
Land Squatters lay roadblocks to the duties of the Secretary, while they should laying the road.
For the first time in decades, a rightful bureaucrat has been appointed as the Secretary of the Auroville Foundation. Dr. Jayanti Ravi who has a Ph.D. in Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and is an active IAS officer did wonders by trying to invoke the spirit of Auroville in Aurovilians. Although during the course of her duties, little did she know that many Aurovilians are only here to safeguard their ill-gained wealth, lands encroached, and freedom this autonomy brings with it.
Dr. Jayanti Ravi issued an office order, within a couple of weeks of taking charge to TDC ( Town Development Council Auroville ) and instructed to expedite work of the Detailed Development Plan of the Auroville Region. Further, she added that the Crown Way being the Crown of the City shall be her first target to execute. She also took a morning walk on the 31st of July from 7 am to 12 noon through the entire stretch of around 4.4 km of Crown Way with more than 200 Aurovilians starting from Savitri Bhavan. Members of the Working Committee and TDC accompanied her. During this visit, it was found that some Aurovilians have constructed houses right on the Crown way and she appealed to them to prepare to evacuate with all dignity in the vision of the Mother’s Dream. The approval of the Auroville Masterplan ( perspective 2025 ) was sent to the Ministry in 2001-02. Auroville raises donations under the pretext of completion of the Masterplan and to purchase lands, but the powerful lobby of stakeholders is purposely keeping the Masterplan at a moot point to benefit themselves. The Mother in 1968 had requested the Ford Foundation to initiate town planning of Auroville and envisioned that it should be completed in 5 years. After 53 years of non-application of the Galaxy plan, one wonders why?
It was surprising for the Secretary to find that spokesperson of the Resident Assembly has constructed her house exactly on the Crown way with full awareness. The Crown Way also cuts through the party venues of Youth Centre and this will also hinder their future late-night escapades. Darkali Community, which has developed gardens and tree plantations for the last few decades in full awareness, now wishes to change the route of the Crown way. Few temporary structures of Aurodam & Centerfield area are also on the way. During the walk, the Secretary also found private owners and other houses.
The same Aurovilians are against the Galaxy Plan of the Mother since by application of Masterplan, Land Acquisition Act will be implied and all lands will be regularised. It is alleged that public donations are diverted to fund Benami properties in Auroville, and as the Masterplan closes to completion, it has ruffled many western feathers which led to the filing of a court case against the application of Masterplan.
As we all know, Auroville Management is a pioneer of running bogus propaganda to hide their dastardly deeds. One of the members of the Working Committee with vested members of Forest Group has started circulating press releases and online petitions to stop the laying of the Mother’s Crown way, giving dubious unsustainable stories. They stated many excuses like “endangered species of plants” being disturbed, whereas the same Aurovilians never declared Auroville as a Forest since this would imply following all laws of the CVC and Indian forest act under the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, and produces from such forests and farms will be regularised. A CVC complaint to the Ministry is pending on the same.
Auroville has taken pride in relocating many endangered trees and species of flora & fauna over miles across India. Pitchandikulam Forest Trust has even done such a commendable work in TCS, Adyar Ponga in Chennai. Does one wonder why such “Endangered Species” cannot be relocated? During the walk, it was found that many such shrubs and weed-filled forests are some influential Aurovilian’s private gardens.
Aurovilians need to be reminded that Auroville belongs to nobody in particular and they are here for sincerity towards the Mother’s Dream. They are just volunteers of the project and not “Owners” of their lands.
The Government of India should righteously declare that Auroville can never be realized, rather than lending support to dubious trusts to fool the public for donations. If the Government of India righteously wishes to set things right and realize the Dream of the Mother, they should weed out the blockages in Auroville with strict discipline, application of the law, and ethics.
It has been seen for decades that the system of Governance with regards to the Auroville Foundation has been kept powerless. The last time we checked there has never been a Chief Vigilance Officer of Auroville after retired IAS Officer, Shri Ramaswamy. The previous Chairman Dr. Karan Singh, did not adhere to requests of imminent Governing Board members and the public to make the Secretary a Member Secretary of the Governing Board so that they can fulfil their duties properly.
The new Chairman and Governing Board are to be appointed and it seems these trustees are lobbying for positions there as well. After layers and layers of governance, governance fails since it is manipulated by Western and Indian entities in powerful positions to keep governance & law powerless.
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