Updating the Community on the Youth Center’s communication with the ATDC
Dear ATDC/L’Avenir d’Auroville 9th May 2022
CCed: AVC, WC, AVF, FAMC
We have some questions regarding Anbu’s (ATDC representative) recent email communications to Auroville resident Uma Prajapati dated 9.5.2022.
- As we have previously stated and Anbu has confirmed in his communications with Uma, there are no structures on the Crown area. Why, then, do you want to “dismantle” the structures that are not in the Crown area, as you have stated in your email to us dated 5.5.2022?
- We have been working in good will with the ATDC team over recent months to obtain an NOC. We have submitted designs and discussed the features of the proposed Youth Plaza (an aspect of the Crown area) and proposed a new vocational training centre (placed in the vocational zone of the Masterplan) with your team. Despite the Youth Centre’s collaborative efforts towards these ends, the ATDC’s communication with us suddenly stopped and some weeks later we received the email (dated 5.5.2022) asking us to dismantle “illegal structures on the Crown”. Please explain why the ATDC is unwilling to move forward with the mutually agreed NOC process, as well as the finalisation of the vocational training centre/Youth Plaza plans? We re-assert that we are willing and ready – with a team of Auroville youth, and a team of executives – to execute this plan, and willing to collaborate to obtain an NOC and move forward to build the vocational training centre.
- The recent Dreamweaving process also created designs for the Youth Center area and the nearby Crown, Bliss forest, Youth plaza etc. We are looking forward to seeing the DDPs for this, and to implement the ideas that are approved by the community. Is this Dreamweaving process being taken forward, and are the subsequent DDPs by Vastu Shilpa Foundation being made?
We request you to finalise the above mentioned processes, which had seemed to be moving forward in a positive manner until a few days ago. Since the receipt of your last email to the Youth Centre (dated 5.5.2022), we have sent you two emails (dated 5.5.2022, 6.5.2022) and we are yet to receive any written response directly from you. Please do so at your earliest convenience.
Furthermore, in Anbu’s email to Uma (9.5.2022), he incorrectly calls the remaining structures at the Youth Center “illegal” structures; we would like to mention again that they are not illegal structures. These buildings have existed in plain sight for decades, with TNEB and telephone connection, and maintained partly through funds from the Central Fund. Anbu also calls the Youth Center an “encroachment” – we would like to re-assert that Aurovilians and youth of Auroville live and caretake the Auroville land where the Youth Center is located. The Youth Center was allocated the land by L’Avenir in 1996. We do not understand the use of the word “encroachment” for Aurovilians living in Auroville, who are permitted to live in Auroville. Please consider that the choice of words such as “illegal” and “encroachment” are not justified in the present context and are misleading, and only serve to create divisions – which we do not support.
We request that the ATDC: does not violate the NGT order by dismantling buildings; respects the recent email by the FAMC to the ATDC “to desist from issuing statements, taking actions and making any regulations that are not in the line of the ruling of the NGT” (dated 8.5.2022); and stays within the parameters of Indian law.
Looking forward to your clarifications on the above questions.
With great hope for a positive future communication,
The Youth Center Team
Attached mails as reference: