Cling To Truth

Clarification from the Working Groups regarding the misleading hype being circulated about the Youth Centre:

Dear Residents,

Recently, Auroville’s working groups have jointly decided to proceed with the closure of the Youth Center (YC). It is important to place the reasons for this decision on record with clarity.

This is not the space to recount the full history of the Youth Center. However, one fact is directly relevant: the location of the YC was deliberately selected by the initiators of the YC project in an area long designated for the Crown Road. In a public meeting held in December 2020, the initiators themselves acknowledged that this choice was intended to obstruct the implementation of the approved Master Plan.

Over the years, the site has repeatedly witnessed serious violations of basic civic norms and safety requirements, posing risks not only to those residing there but to the wider Auroville community. What may once have been presented as a youth-oriented or educational initiative progressively lost that purpose and increasingly became a focal point for activities and energies not aligned with the ideals of Auroville, Sri Aurobindo, and the Mother. There have been persistent reports of parties involving alcohol and prohibited substances, alongside unsafe and unauthorized structures erected without NOCs and without compliance with even minimal safety standards.

Despite repeated engagement by Auroville’s administrative bodies over many years, the YC consistently chose not to register as an official unit or service. It operated through an “open account” arrangement that did not comply with applicable regulations (and which has since been closed), relied substantially on cash flows, and did not maintain transparent, auditable accounts. As an unregistered entity, it remained outside administrative oversight and fiscal accountability, while continuing to use Auroville’s space and reputation.

Events and gatherings were organized without adherence to established rules, without approvals, and without respect for permitted hours. Large numbers of guests from outside Auroville were invited and moved through the township late at night, often allegedly under the influence of alcohol or other substances—creating repeated concerns regarding safety, disturbance, and reputational harm. For years, this situation was tolerated, and at times informally protected, contributing to an atmosphere of impunity rooted in the mistaken assumption that “in Auroville the police does not intervene.” The community has borne the practical and reputational consequences of hosting an entity that repeatedly refused administrative and financial responsibility while positioning itself as a deliberate provocation against the city’s planned development.

With the introduction and enforcement of the Residents’ Criteria, such irregularity is no longer acceptable. Activities in Auroville must be lawful and regular—administratively, financially, and socially. Conduct that would be unacceptable not only in a spiritual community but anywhere in India cannot be shielded by an informal culture of impunity. Individual freedom cannot come at the cost of collective safety and legal accountability.

Approximately three years ago, the working groups formally informed YC that the center would need to close and initiated a constructive and respectful collaboration with YouthLink to support a smooth transition. During this period, YC representatives repeatedly failed to respond to official communications and continued operating as though no decision had been taken.

Three years is more than sufficient time for those involved to secure alternative housing and socially meaningful, legally compliant work. Even so, and despite hostility and non-cooperation, the working groups remain committed to assisting the last two remaining residents of the YC site (all others have already left; these two are currently retaining control over the assets there) to transition responsibly—including addressing safeguarding concerns where relevant, based on available records and reports.

Best Regards,

The Working Committee, Funds and Assets Management Committee and Auroville Town Development Council

An official report has been issued to clarify facts around the proposed land use decision at Annapurna Farm. Here is what the document explains:

📌 The decision

Around 100 acres of Annapurna Farm are proposed to be repurposed for a sustainability-focused campus, in collaboration with an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).

📌 Food security context

• All Auroville farms together currently meet less than 12% of the community’s food needs

• Over 88% of food is sourced from outside

• The Greenbelt, as per the Master Plan, is intended for agriculture close to residents to reduce transport and environmental impact

📌 About Annapurna Farm

• Located over 10 km from Auroville’s centre, outside the Greenbelt

• Of 135 acres, about 30 acres are effectively cultivated

• The farm has been operating at a financial loss, supported by donations

📌 Proposed strategy

• Consolidate agriculture within the Greenbelt to improve efficiency, resilience, and food security

• Use land outside the Greenbelt for an IIT collaboration aimed at education, research, and wider regional benefit

📌 Key clarifications

• No approved plan for an EV truck test track

• All current farm workers to be offered transition to farms within the Greenbelt

• The plan is framed as aligning with the original Greenbelt intent of proximity to the city

📌 Official position

The report states the decision falls within the legal mandate of the Auroville Foundation and has been endorsed by relevant working groups.

🧭 The stated aim is to strengthen food security, address operational challenges, and realign development with Auroville’s Master Plan.

🧭 Context matters. Law matters. Facts matter.

A key document shaping the land debate in Auroville, Public Land Beyond Private Claims, addresses long-standing questions around land, law, and the city’s future.

📌 What the document clarifies:

•⁠ ⁠The RFCTLARR Act, 2013 applies only to compulsory acquisition, not voluntary land exchanges

•⁠ ⁠The Auroville Foundation does not possess eminent domain powers

•⁠ ⁠“Resettlement” under law is distinct from relocation within Foundation land

•⁠ ⁠Public purpose is defined by the Auroville Foundation Act and the Master Plan

•⁠ ⁠Auroville is legally mandated to develop as a city for 50,000 people

•⁠ ⁠Stewardship and long-term care do not constitute legal ownership

•⁠ ⁠The Residents’ Assembly holds an advisory, not veto, role in Master Plan execution

The document argues that implementing the Master Plan is not a deviation from Auroville’s ideals, but a responsibility embedded in its legal and institutional framework.

🛡️ Auroville Fact Check is an official page under the administrative control of the Auroville Foundation, created to provide verified information, legal clarity, and public transparency.

🧭 Context matters. Law matters. Facts matter.

From its earliest years, Auroville defined clear principles for those who choose to live here.

In 1971, The Mother issued a notice outlining the essential conditions of life in Auroville — including a one-year trial period, collective work, shared living, and a clear prohibition on drugs.

These guidelines are not rules in isolation. They arise from the spiritual foundation of Auroville, rooted in the Integral Yoga of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother — a path focused on transforming life in the world, through work, service, and conscious living.

Life in Auroville calls for:

* participation in building the city as per the Galaxy Master Plan

* contribution over personal gain

* non-ownership of immovable property

* unity beyond politics, religion, or discrimination

* discipline aligned with inner clarity and collective growth

Living in Auroville is not passive.

It is an active, ongoing commitment to inner and collective transformation.

Context matters. Truth matters.