Auroville residents gather to support Resident Assembly

Auroville Foundation condemns ‘unauthorised take-over of the Working Committee office’

A section of Aurovilians gathered in front of the Town Hall on Thursday in a show of support to the self-governance mandate of the Residents Assembly, one of the key decision-making bodies in the international township of Auroville.

A day after the police was called into Auroville after the Foundation reported a break-in into the Working Committee (WC) office and an “illegal take over of its records and communication systems”, scores of Aurovilians assembled in the morning to demonstrate support for the Residents’ Assembly and its newly-appointed Working Committee.

On Wednesday, the police had shut down the entire Town Hall office, including all associated services. after the new WC, which was elected at a May 10 meeting of the Residents’ Assembly, refused to hand over the keys of the offices in the absence of the necessary legal order and justification,

Meanwhile, Auroville Foundation condemned the “unauthorised take-over of the Working Committee office” by persons chosen through irregular votes and the show of support by some residents to such brazen acts. Based on the result of this illegal vote, unauthorised residents changed the lock of two Working Committee offices overnight and also seized the mailboxes of the WC and began to circulate messages to the community and outside authorities, it said.

“The legitimate Working Committee made a complaint, based on which a police complaint was filed against the unauthorised residents who had indulged in criminal trespass and cybercrimes. With effect to this complaint, Auroville Police Station has registered a case under sections 147, 452, 341, 353, 465, 506(1) of IPC and 66, 66C, 66D of IT Act 2000. The police are investigating the issues and the extent of the cybercrimes and further action is awaited”, the Foundation said.

The latest flashpoint in a protracted tussle between a section of Aurovilians and the Foundation over sustainability aspects of fast-tracking the master plan for Auroville,  originates in a recent split in the seven-member WC into two factions. After a group backed by the Auroville Foundation, removed three members, the ousted members contended that the decision was irregular as only the Residents Assembly was authorised to remove/elect members to the WC.

As this power tussle was playing out to wrest control over the WC, a section of residents called for an urgent meeting of the Resident Assembly at which four members were voted out for “acting against the interests of the residents” , and a new WC chosen.