Communication sent by the Working Committee of the Resident Assembly to the community on May 27th 2022 through mass bulletin:
Dear Community,
We hope that this message finds you well in spite of the challenging times we are collectively going through.
Since the latest decision of the Residents’ Assembly on May 10th, and the appointment of our interim members on May 14th, we have been dealing with a number of urgent and sensitive issues which have unfortunately not left much space for communication. These include attempts to take over our office space in Town Hall, FIRs (First Investigation Reports) filed against six Aurovilians including members of the Working Committee, Visa-related issues, the issuing of a Media Release, and some legal matters.
Many of you will have seen the disinformation and energy being put to try and discredit the Residents’ Assembly, its processes and us as its Working Committee. It is an uncomfortable and confusing time, but now is the moment – more than ever – to remain united and true to Auroville’s spirit.
We would like to clarify the following:
· The update of the Register of Residents does not affect the validity of any RA-ratified decision-making process, including the most recent RAD or the selection process being initiated. The Office of the Secretary should indeed keep the register updated, following due process and with appropriate communication and transparency, but this does not have any impact on the functioning of the Residents’ Assembly. Residents’ Assembly Decisions are taken based on the Master List, which is regularly updated by the Residents’ Service. We understand there are concerns amongst many in the community about this topic, notably about the new form that has been circulated by the Office of the Secretary. We will be sharing more information at the earliest. We have also accepted the RAS’s invitation to participate in the upcoming General Meeting on the topic of the RoR.
· An FIR has been made against six Aurovilians, including three members of the Working Committee. The FIR claims are based primarily on the invalid attempt to intervene in the functioning of the Residents’ Assembly. It is very unfortunate that this has extended to attacks on individuals. We are taking the most appropriate actions for legal protection on this matter and will keep the community informed in due time.
· The Working Committee has recently issued a media release (click the link) to address some of the misinformation and allegations being put out by the Foundation Office spokespersons and others.
· The admin rights of Auronet have been handed over to the Secretary’s Office and our access for posting information and updates to the community on behalf of the Working Committee, which used to be one of the major tools of our communication, has been removed. We are closely coordinating with FAMC and the Auroville Council to take steps to restore the previous situation.
· Our intention and requests to organise a constructive meeting with Mme Secretary remain. So far, we didn’t receive any reply.
We will endeavour to keep you updated on the many sensitive topics we are engaged with as soon as possible.
We have truly appreciated the support shown by residents, and are inspired by the peaceful and healthy responses which have emerged under extreme situations. Let us all continue to make space for a higher synthesis of perspectives, to realise more deeply our unity in diversity.
More soon,
The Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly
Chali, Elisa, Gilles G., Hemant, Juergen A, Sauro