Page 1 of 6

Response to FAQs on the Working Committee of the Residents

Assembly

1. What is the Working Committee exactly and why so much noise over it?

● The Working Committee of the Residents’ Assembly is first and foremost merely a

body constituted by the Residents’ Assembly to assist the Residents’ Assembly to

discharge its functions, and as the case may be, the Governing Board also. The

Auroville Foundation Act (hereinafter referred to as the Act) under Section 20 is very

clear on the subject.

● Therefore it may be understood at the outset that the Working Committee does not

have any decision-making powers, it is merely a secretarial body to assist the

discharge of the functions of the two bodies with direct functions to perform.

● In March 2020, the Residents’ Assembly formed a Working Committee composed of

Anu, Arun, Chali, Hemant L., Partha, Sauro, Srimoyi. This Working Committee had a

three-year term of office.

2. What happened in May 2022 when some members were removed, and some were

“voted out”?

● In May 2022, due to some severe dysfunctionality issues within the team, owing to

three of the appointed members refusing to collaborate with the city development

endeavours as decided by the Governing Board, the Working Committee took an

internal decision to remove the dissenting three members by a majority vote. This

was permissible by the Participatory Working Groups 2022 (PWG 2022) document

which was ratified by the Residents Assembly under “Removal of members”. The

majority four, Anu, Arun, Partha and Srimoyi, also chose three interim members,

Joseba, Tine & Selvaraj, so that the work may continue unhindered.

Excerpt PWG 2022:

“Removal of Members during the term

To be Member of a working group implies effective participation, conscientious

presence and teamwork. Members who are not executing their work as assigned by

the group and/or turn out to be ill-matched with the team can – after all attempts of

integration have failed – be asked by the Working Group to step out.”

● Aggrieved, the removed three members - or the “breakaway group” - organised

general meetings in Auroville and attempted a “Residents’ Assembly Decision

Making Process” I.e. voting amongst Residents to remove the majority four who

were supportive of the decisions of the Governing Board to develop the city.