Usurpation of the Budget Committee
The bonafide Working Committee and FAMC are addressing to the community a letter regarding the financial hardship caused by those impersonating the ‘BCC’ (budget coordination committee. Here is the letter:
Dear Residents,
This communication is made in view of the fact that certain individuals associated with the Office of the Secretary, Auroville Foundation, are usurping the role and functions of the Budget Coordination Committee (BCC) constituted under the Funds and Assets Management Committee selected by the Residents’ Assembly (RA).
It is highly regrettable that these individuals have been given the role of disbursing collective funds via the Auroville Financial Services whilst not being accountable to the Residents’ Assembly, nor to any of the selected representatives of the community. These individuals have bypassed community processes, declaring that the RA is not valid and have thus renounced the ideal of Auroville’s collective organisation being based on a living experiment of Human Unity in Diversity. It is of deep concern that in doing so, they are upholding the top-down form of governance currently being imposed by the Office of the Secretary and a minority group of Aurovilians claiming the exclusive ability to hold the vision of Auroville. It is worth reminding ourselves that this minority group’s legitimacy has been rejected by the 1161 residents that participated in a formal decision and resolution of the Residents’ Assembly in August 2022.
Those individuals usurping the legitimately constituted BCC are acting in a careless and harmful manner by removing maintenance support of persons selected by the RA, are attempting to obtain sensitive information from residents concerning contributions, and funding their own self-appointed groups, without following any previously agreed-upon procedure nor showing any form of accountability. We note that these individuals are creating financial hardship and insecurity in a haphazard way without any consultation nor agreement from the Residents’ Assembly and its approved working groups. The Governing Board-appointed ‘FAMC’ (‘GB-FAMC’) under which these individuals function are also slandering persons, inferring by removing maintenance support that they are not working for the community and calling into question these Aurovilians’ commitment to Auroville, when these same Aurovilians have been entrusted by the community in their roles and responsibilities. The ‘GB-FAMC’ claim in their November report that these selected and endorsed representatives are “anti-city”, and conclude that they are unwilling to support a “parallel governance / administration” – which they themselves have created.
As duly-selected representatives of the Residents’ Assembly, we are committed to supporting those that are being targeted by these coercive and divisive tactics, and we are actively looking into other solutions to address the economic safety issues currently at stake. This will only be possible with the support and active participation of the residents of Auroville.
We invite all those that are willing to support us in addressing this issue by providing financial or in-kind support to please contact the Budget Coordination Committee selected via the Residents’ Assembly at this email address: [email protected].
Any questions you may have regarding the situation may be addressed to the BCC using the above email address.
We stay committed to growing truer to the ideals of Auroville, to honouring what has been built with the dedication, efforts and financial contribution of all residents and wellwishers, and Mother’s Grace, over the last 54 years. It is in moments of crisis such as this one that we need to stand united, and support each other.
In community,
Working Committee selected by the Residents’ Assembly (Aravinda, Bharathy, Chali, Hemant, Maël, Sauro, Valli)
FAMC selected by the Residents’ Assembly (Amy B., Bobby P., Danny (TOS), Elodie, Mita R., Palani)
Report of the illegal appointed FAMC (funds and Assets management committee):