Le Monde, a reputed and leading newspaper in France published an article titled "Auroville, India's utopian town threatened by disenchantment and Hindu nationalism" for its subscribers on 25th April 2024. The initial part of the article containing less than one-third of its total length has been published online by Le Monde in both French and English and is viewable by all. The rest of the article is accessible only to its subscribers. The Auroville library and the Romain Rolland Library, the largest public library in Puducherry, do not subscribe to the journal and so it was not possible to refer to that. Auroville France (Facebook) has posted a copy of Le Monde's French article in full on Facebook. An attempt to get a translation, Le Monde or independent, through a French Auroville resident known to be a good writer in English has not received any response. Le Monde may have furnished a free copy of the article, as a journalistic courtesy, to the small group of residents it interviewed in Auroville. If so, the group can pass it on to News and Analysis for attaching it to this article.
This review is based on the initial part of the article in English from Le Monde and the latter part from a translation of the French article of Le Monde (Facebook) into English. French to English translation of 'Google Translate' doesn't contain as it was seen in some of its English to Tamil translation. Possibly it is easier for online translations to translate between one European language to another than to an Eastern languge. So, Google Translate was used for the translation and ambiguous sentences were corrected by comparing with alternative translations from other similar online translators. Obvious errors and repetitions in the text were easily corrected. It is Remarkably, when the first part in the French article published by Le Monde when translated into English following the above process produced a text that is more or less same as the English version published by Le Monde excepting some sentences which are differently constructed but yet retained the essential meaning.
There are some factual errors in the report but such errors have occurred in the reports by major newspapers from around the world, including India, in the past. What maybe new to the international audience is its report of a "toxic atmosphere" hanging in the air and a meeting with a small group of members described as “Auroville's resistance” in their “HQ” hidden by greenery inside Auroville. The group spoke to the reporter on condition that their identities shall not revealed. Sophie Landrin, Le Monde's New Delhi Correspondent who met them reports: "We were warned that those who had previously spoken openly had immediately paid the price for it, losing their visas and being forced to leave the country" and "For the past three years, they ["the resistance"] have been battling an administration determined to take back control of this utopian town."
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| The arched entrance plaza of Le Monde’s new Paris headquarters.
Photo © Eric Cowez |
Most of quotes from the group as reported by Le Monde are not new. Firstly the narrative of Auroville as a "semi-desert plateau battered by winds and cyclones where no Indian wanted to live" where 50 or so pioneers "built dams and water retention mounds and planted thousands of" trees reaching 3 million trees "patiently planted". Auroville dot org website claimed some months ago that 1 million trees were planted which multiplied into 2 millions. Now that bit of information is missing from the website. There are some exaggerations here as old photographs of the area show herds of goats, bullock carts, some trees and villagers. If there was nobody there the Mother wouldn't have asked some Auroville residents to liaise with and educate the village children. Most of the lands purchased for Auroville belonged to the villagers who had been using them for monsoon-dependent agriculture in the past. Their second claim that 99% of Auroville that exists today was built by Aurovilians is also an exaggeration as most of the labourers and technicians who built them were non-Aurovilians. Many buildings and some infrastructure have also been funded by the Govt. of India. The third, about no money circulation in Auroville and people working not to earn but only to maintain themselves, is a continuation of another false propaganda of decades. Monetary contribution has been indispensable for joining Auroville. If most internal transactions are online that doesn't mean it is a money-free economy. With Rs. 20,000/- per month and perks (free electricity at home and education for children) as "maintenance" for 6 hours of work a day, Aurovilians drawing maintenance have decently paying jobs when compared to the cities nearby. Some residents have enough funds of their own that they don’t need the so-called ‘maintenance” apparently because it is 'too little' for their lifestyle. (A resident reported on Auronet some time ago someone saying the maintenance was not enough even for her dogs).
While a group member at the secret meeting place told the Le Monde reporter that they were not against "expansion" and an "evolving city", the words soon after show their resentment against felling of trees to make arterial roads for the city which are described as symptoms of "a coup d’état by the new administration". The first division bench of the Madras High Court observed in its judgment of 15th March 2024 setting aside an order issued under the Governing Board that it "arrogates the entire powers of the Residents' Assembly to itself". The Secretary representing the Board filed a Special Leave Petition against the judgment in the Supreme Court which stayed the High Court Order on 29th April. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for July. The Le Monde article describes the Secretary Mrs. Jayanti Ravi (mistakenly referred as "a former" civil servant) as missioned by PM Modi to build the Mother’s City and the group of residents she "joined forces with" as "handful of residents frustrated by the slow development of the project". The mission part of this narrative lacks credibility as there has been no such claim from either the Government or the Secretary.
The Le Monde article rightly observes that when a utopia lacks the finance and a common urban vision it results in stagnation in development and deviation from the original plan. Also, lack of structured organisation and endless chatter further slowed down development.
The article quotes from A Dream but seems to have avoided the first sentence mentioning "aplace which no nation could claim as its own". Le Monde apparently is not convinced that India's sovereignty over Auroville is questionable as it has used the term "Auroville, India's utopian town" in the title of the article. This should have a sobering effect on those, from both sides of the divide, misusing the sentence for political gain.
Citing the case of Satprem, "a renowned architect, who endeavoured for three years to demonstrate the defects and the corruption in the construction of the Crown Road" and who gave "all his fees for 34 years for Auroville" the report says the "ideal city closes like a trap for its residents".
The article doesn’t contain any reference to or quote from any official group from either side of the divide. Perhaps it rightly avoided that as many conflicts between the two sides are awaiting verdicts from the judiciary.
Overall, one of the effects of the Le Monde report could be that it would discourage its readers from visiting Auroville, at least for some time. Even though Le Monde has used the terms such resistance, secret location, and headquarter to describe its meeting the group in Auroville the term "threatened by disenchantment" in its title shows it doesn't regard the situation so serious as the "resistance fighters" might want it to believe. The government may likely view it as an immature posturing but instead of ignoring it would be better for it to find their genuine grievances and sincerely address the same. Recently a member of ATDC published on Auronet his disagreement with the rehabilitation measures for residents affected by the city development and he appears to have also quit his job (citing another reason). So, rehabilitation may be one of the issues to be solved.
As it was the practice by the previous dispensation the present one may also be confronting the media house that published an unsavoury report in order to save the "reputation of Auroville". It is relevant to recall that the leading lights of Auroville advised those accusing Peter Hees of publishing contents defaming Sri Aurobindo in a biography that "Sri Aurobindo doesn't need defenders and he can very well defend himself". In the same way, Auroville too may not need defenders if it is a City at the Service of Truth. It is futile to blame Le Monde for the report because it is a journalist’s dharma to report the situations around the world without fear or favour.
On the view of Le Monde that Auroville may be in its twilight years: what is coming to an end may be the unrealistic image of Auroville built and sustained by propaganda whereas the true Auroville could be growing subtly and quietly, not discernible to common perception.
('Le Monde' means 'The World')
Ref: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/05/05/auroville-india-s-utopian-town-threatened-by-disenchantment-and-hindu-nationalism_6670448_4.html
