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This book was posted on the Net and presented individually to a few people, and a
couple of copies were also made available to the Governing Board.
However it seemed to be dismissed as irrelevant, although several friends
commented on its beauty… It is included here as an attachment.
***
Note: Once again, in May 2003, I drafted a paper which tried to recapitulate the
reasons for our position and to place in a perspective that would be meaningful to
others.
*On the completion of the Matrimandir and its Peace area; on Roger A’s
role and function, May 2003:
“Let us first acknowledge that Roger A’s authority has never been unanimously
recognised in Auroville. Where the Matrimandir is concerned, the Mother Herself
had at some point suggested that he had enough to do with Auromodel and other
projects and Paolo should be the one to look after the construction of the centre.
Roger A is not an Aurovilian, and that also has a bearing on the quality of response
to and regard for his position.
For 10 crucial years of the development of Auroville and the construction of its
Soul, the Matrimandir, Roger A was altogether absent.
In 1987, he was invited to participate again in the completion of the Matrimandir
and make a new proposal for its finishing and cladding; he and Jacqueline then
proposed the present design for the discs and the reduced height of the twelve
Petals, and this proposal was the subject of a difficult vote which deeply divided the
community over the following years.
Even though this proposal was thus accepted, it was not worked out and the
community, through its Council, formed a coordination group and a planning group
in an attempt both to speed up the work and to have the contribution of mutually
balancing views to its execution.
It is only in the late 90s that, through his being appointed a member of the
Governing Board, thereby acquiring a superior position in the legal hierarchy, and
through the active moral influence of the present Chairman, that Roger A and his
group of supporters have seemingly gained the upper hand, in the sense that their
opinions have been provided with political means.
. Regarding the configuration of the Peace area, the area that surrounds the
Matrimandir and extends to a radius of 300 metres from it:
This area was defined with the agreement of all concerned in the early 70s – chiefly
Roger A, Narad and Piero.
1)
The oval island containing the Matrimandir and its 12 Petals, the Banyan
tree, the Urn and its amphitheatre, the 12 Inner Gardens and the Garden of
Unity (later on, the Rose Garden was added to it with Roger’s agreement).
2)
The oval water channel, the width of which would on average be 12 metres.