(My translation below.)Auroville, May 15 – About 3500 people, foreigners and locals, live in the international city of Auroville in the Viluppuram district. People belonging to one side have been opposing the destruction of trees around the city for a "ground walk" plan. Because of this, the Auroville administration and residents have been divided and acting separately. Under the leadership of Arun Prakash Ambathy (aged 46), the residents of Auroville held a discussion meeting the day before yesterday. Antim, Sindhuja, Muriel, Joel, Selvaraj and a few others, from the Auroville administration, said they were going to hold a discussion and asked everybody else to leave the place immediately. Arguments and a physical scuffle resulted from this. Based on a complaint given by Arun Prakash Ambathy, a case was registered by Auroville Police Station against 17 people, including Antim and Sindhuja. Also, based on a complaint by Sindhuja (40), a case was registered against 7 people belonging to the other group. Both Arun Prakash Ambathy and Antim were arrested.
𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬: The incident has apparently happened in a meeting room of the Town Hall of Auroville. The Town Hall had been taken over by the Auroville administration, expelling the groups elected by the Residents Assembly of Auroville, mostly, years ago and, completely, months ago. Possibly a residents' assembly group are now asserting their right to use a meeting room. The Residents Assembly is one of the three statuory bodies under the Auroville Foundation Act and it is authorised to form committees of residents. The other two bodies are the Governing Board and the International Advisory Council.
Arun Prakash Ambathy is a retired major of the Indian Army who has been working as a volunteer in Auroville forestry for many years. Months ago, he led a group of residents and complained to the Superintendent of Police of Villuppuram district, alleging loss of crores of rupees to Auroville while exchanging an Auroville farmland by the present administration.
Antim has been a leading supporter of the present administration. The administration has appointed him as a member of its committees. The formation of one of these committees has been challenged by members/groups of residents assembly in the Madras High Court and the case is still awaiting judgement.
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