JRD Tata

As I was looking through the minutes of the last Governing Board meeting regarding proposed changes to the Auroville Foundation Act, I recalled that when the Act was originally being prepared, there were already two different tendencies.

Shipra Di from the Sri Aurobindo Ashram passed away on 2 January at 2:35 pm in the Ashram Nursing Home. Born in 1935, she spent her early years in Delhi and Shimla.

The earliest mention of Auroville was in the monthly issue of the Sri Aurobindo Society (SAS) Information Letter of March 1965, where its General Secretary Navajata wrote: “You will be glad to know that the Mother has taken up the model township project.

The Residents of Auroville express their profound grief at the passing of eminent jurist Fali Nariman on 21st February 2024 who, on more than one occasion, helped the development of Auroville by acting in court or by giving valuable legal opinions.

In April word spread that Frederick was seeking personal testimonies of what drew us to and kept us living in Auroville. He wrote, “In Delhi a senior friend and supporter of Auroville asked me: ‘What brought you to India 60 years ago?’

In November 1988, thirty-four years ago, Auroville Today began life, and this month marks our 400th issue. Peter Lloyd, one of our most loyal subscribers and a recent addition to our editorial team gives his reflection.

This small book is a recollection of J.R.D. Tata’s involvement with Auroville as well as a meditative reflection by the author, Frederick (Friedrich Schulze Buxloh), of his very special relationship with this great man, one of India’s foremost industrialists who in 1992 was awarded India’s highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna, for his contribution to India’s development as the head of the then largest industrial conglomerate.

In November 2015, (issue # 316), Auroville Today reported on the work of MGEcoduties, an Auroville unit that manufactures household and well-being products that contain probiotics, live microbes that confer health benefits.

One June 24th, Yolande Lemoine, one of Auroville’s strong supporters in the early days, left her body in Paris. Yolande had been a close friend and aide of Satprem and Sujata, and liaised the important contacts between J.R.D.

Four long-term Aurovilians involved in village development and commerce talk about Auroville and India.

On 23rd January, 2010, for the French Pavilion, Alain Bernard gave a talk on the background and passing of the Auroville Foundation Act. Here is an edited version of the translation of that talk.