Issue Nº351 – News in brief

In a decision which may be important for Auroville residents, the High Court in New Delhi has decided that foreigners/OCI card holders have to be informed by the relevant officers if they have been blacklisted and their entry into the country will be denied. This may end the current practice where foreigners and OCI holders only discover at their arrival at the airport that they are not allowed to enter India and are sent back to their home country.

The Governing Board of the Auroville Foundation met in Auroville on September 7th and 8th. The interactive meetings with Auroville residents were attended by Dr. Karan Singh, (Chairman), Dr. Prema Nandakumar, Prof. Satchitananda Mohanty, and Dr. Nirma Oza. Mr. Siljo, Director and Deputy Secretary HRD Ministry, who came instead of Dr. Saravana Kumar, the Joint Secretary in charge with the Auroville affairs, attended the meeting on September 8th while Board members Dr. Anirban Ganguly only attended the afternoon meeting of the Board on September 8th.

On September 7th, presentations were made by various groups. In the afternoon, Dr. Karan Singh released the second issue of Bharat Nivas’s journal Bhavishyate and the book Chronicling Auroville, a compilation of articles from the last twelve years of Auroville Today. The hon’ble Lt. Governor of Pondicherry, Dr. Kiran Bedi, subsequently released the book Dear Aurovilians – Inspiration from Dr. Karan Singh’s Auroville collaboration, compiled by Aryadeep.

On September 8th, the Board interacted among others with the Highway Task Force. The resolution of the Residents’ Assembly seeking the Board’s support that this highway will not be located in between Kuilapalayam and Auroville was submitted. Also a resolution of the Residents’ Assembly about the absence of the International Advisory Council was submitted to the Board.

Three Auroville residents have been barred from re-entering India and were sent back to their home country when they arrived at the airport. No reasons have been given. The Working Committee together with the Secretary, Auroville Foundation, is in discussion with officials of the Ministry of Home Affairs to resolve these issues and allow them to return to Auroville.

On Saturday the 15th September Auroville volunteers participated in World Cleanup Day. More than 600 individuals participated and collected in a few hours 1,983 kilos of litter from Auroville’s roadsides and forests: 37 kg of PET bottles, 1,247 kg of mixed waste and 699 kg of glass.

The “Acres for Auroville” land campaign, inaugurated on 15th August 2014, is keeping up its fundraising momentum. In its 4th year, A4A donations financed the addition of 9 plots (13.42 acres) of land located in the City, the International Zone, and the Greenbelt.

The Matrimandir executives have replaced the glass globe in the Lotus Pond below the Matrimandir with a natural crystal quartz globe for a 3-month’s trial period, and invite feedback.