And here we are back again with a short, important update.
After our last Newsletter in which I tried to describe the processes we are pushed through by our administration, this writing is to continue to describe our current reality.
The cumbersome various processes of trying to get your donations released continues. This has gotten to the point that we had to report and declare about all the donations from our inception … that’s 40 years! And still … donation(s) are not released to us.
All this is nothing compared to the next challenge we are now facing…
Two days ago this letter flew into our inbox from the current Office of the Secretary, Auroville Foundation, and the Governing Board-backed town planning team. We are amazed how far things have gone out of hand by now. Please read it for yourself:
13 August 2025
Dear Managers of Annapurna Farm,
It has been decided to allocate 100 acres of Auroville land at Annapurna for the IIT Sustainability Campus project. Consequently, Annapurna Farm will need to relocate its operations to the western portion of the land parcel, comprising approximately 34 acres.
We invite you to a joint meeting with FAMC, Farm Service, and ATDC to discuss this matter and work out a transition plan for the proposed shift.
Kindly confirm your presence for the meeting scheduled on 18 August 2025 at 10:00 a.m. at the Auroville Foundation Bhavan, Ground Floor Conference Room.
Warm regards,
FAMC, Farm Service and L’avenir d’Auroville team
Even after all that has happened in Auroville in the last several years, this shocked us to the core. Without any discussion or prior intimation these decisions are made over our heads as if talking about little matters. Relocating a farm? Did any of these people really think about that?
We are trying to get more info about this deal between the Auroville Foundation Office and IIT Madras. What we’ve read in the newspapers and social media is that there would be an EV (electric vehicle) truck testing track built on the land. And it’s calling itself a ‘sustainability’ project … being willing to wipe out a fully functional, established organic farm. Boggles the mind.
Lots of people are very concerned about what is happening and are offering their help. This is giving us a lot of support. We are looking at how to best respond to this latest challenge.
In the meantime many things are put into motion to put public pressure on decision makers to undo this move of which one is this petition.
To be continued soon,
Much love,
Tomas
