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titled a member of the “Working Committee” was eventually trapped and alienated
and that every “Working Committee” ended up functioning “in camera” and deluded
into thinking itself more “responsible” than the rest.
I kept saying, whenever I had a chance, that we were responsible for our freedom
only: we could conform to the expectations of the world by providing them with our
own device for a spokesman and call it “Working Committee” as required, but we
did not have to believe in it; in fact we must NOT believe in it, and it must have no
existence between us: it must simply disappear and merge back into our own
chosen way of functioning internally. It must be our protective shield, our totem
and our visiting card, but it must not rule or determine our choices.
But with time, political motivations became more and more active, while a general
disaffection led the majority of people in Auroville to desist from any involvement in
the search for a collectively chosen organisation.
***
Note: The “permanent” issue of the Matrimandir’s direct environment – basically
whether Matrimandir was to be surrounded with the richness and abundance of
natural beauty, as the Mother had initially described Her dream of it, a vast area of
silent experiencing at the centre of the city, or merely adorned with some
minimalist and symbolic array of decorative arrangements as Roger A wanted it,
with the inner ring of the city overlooking the direct, almost barren approach to the
golden sphere – had been troubling many of us almost since the birth of Auroville.
To some of us it was clear that the Mother had placed apparently divergent views at
the service of the Matrimandir precisely because through their respective surrender
to Her Action would be revealed their complementary creativity.
To others among us, it was certain that there had to be a hierarchical order and
that Roger A had been given final authority by the Mother.
In 1999 this issue escalated.
The appointment of Kireet Joshi as the new Chairman, replacing MS Swaminathan
at the helm of Auroville’s affairs, brought about the re-appointment of Roger A as a
quasi permanent member of the Governing Board and his official anointment as the
Chief Architect and the Mother’s spokesman, where the Matrimandir was concerned.
Our position and approach as a team had been since the beginning that we would
go by what the Mother had expressly communicated.
Insofar as the very controversial design for the golden sphere and its 12
surrounding petals, authored by Roger A, was concerned, we had found that there
was a sufficient evidence of the Mother eventually agreeing to it. It was not
overwhelming evidence, but there was enough to hold on to and to at least
honestly try to realise this concept.
But where the park and gardens were concerned, all the written and recorded
statements by the Mother were abundantly clear, as She had talked at great length
of these, and Her vision of the central park as a sanctuary with its Pavilion of Truth
and Love sheltered within it, was the actual beginning of Auroville.