A French national, who has been a long-time resident in Auroville and headed a centre devoted to earth technologies, has been served a “Leave India” notice by the Centre, setting off a fresh round of recriminations between the camps that remain divided over shaping the “City of the Future”.
Serge Maini (Satprem), Director, Auroville Earth Institute, received the notice to leave the country by July 1 after the Auroville Foundation Secretary Jayanti Ravi revoked recommendation for visa, which in due course should have been valid till the end of 2025. He was informed of the decision and issued an exit permit upon being summoned to the Foreigners Regional Registration Office in Chennai on June 19.
This is the second instance of a foreign national being handed a notice to exit the country after Mael, another Aurovilian of French origin, was given marching orders to leave the country in February this year. In both cases, what precipitated the extreme punitive measure appears to be their role in the protests, since December 2021, against the Foundation’s resolute drive to implement a long-pending Master Plan for Auroville.
The Auroville working committee (WCom), recognised by the Auroville Foundation, and the WCom elected by a Residents’ Assembly – a body deemed illegitimate by the Foundation – have issued sharply contrasting takes on the development even as a section of residents has launched a signature campaign seeking revocation of the exit notice.
The official WCom, put out a “Report on Satprem” listing a series of accusations, such as his involvement in “a false and abusive” campaign including (sending) a doctored video to UNESCO and spreading false information against the Auroville Foundation, the Secretary as well as against working groups and residents who support the ongoing work on the Crown.
He was also accused of ‘professional misconduct’ by practising and teaching architecture in India without the necessary license from the Council of Architecture, Ministry of Education. The tipping point, according to the official version, came during the visiting Y20 youth delegation’s morning Crown Walk on April 5, when Satprem “attempted to disrupt and mislead the youth by making false statements.”
Meanwhile, in a counter to the “malicious report” on Satprem, the RA-elected WCom, appealed to R.N. Ravi, Tamil Nadu Governor and Chairman of Auroville Foundation Governing Board, Dena Mirriam, Chairperson, Auroville International Advisory Council, and others, urging for “wisdom and justice to prevail” in the matter.
