Beloved spiritual utopia under threat in Modi’s India

Auroville, a spiritual community established in southern India with the vision of creating a utopia for people of all countries to live in peace and progressive harmony, is now facing an uncertain future. Founded on principles of "human unity in diversity" and "the transformation of consciousness," the experimental city, once a self-governing haven free from money and religious strife, is experiencing what many residents describe as an oppressive atmosphere.

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Lots of people are living in fear and uncertainty.

Many of Auroville's 3,300 residents, particularly the nearly half who were born abroad, report living in fear and uncertainty, concerned about potential expulsion or denial of visas to remain in the country. This anxiety has arisen since the Indian government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, appointed civil servant Jayanti Ravi to head Auroville in 2021. Close to Modi and his administration's agenda to reshape India as a Hindu nation, Ravi has reportedly asserted government control and initiated plans to expand the city as a tourist destination showcasing "Modi's India."

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Everyone feels vulnerable and in danger.

This governmental push has led to significant infrastructure development, including the clearing of vegetation for expansion, which clashes sharply with Auroville's founding ethos. Residents note that the values embodied by Auroville, a city aiming for a "universal city" of the spirit, "without religion," and seeking to "reinvent our relationship with money", stand in stark contrast to the current Indian government's values, which are described as "nationalist, capitalist and religious."

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The values embodied by Auroville, a city "without religion" that "reinvents our relationship with money... are very different from the values of the current Indian government, which is nationalist, capitalist and religious.

Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a biographer of Prime Minister Modi, suggests that this situation reflects a broader trend of centralization under the current government, which is reportedly wary of "free-thinking bodies or individuals who have functional autonomy." The vision for Auroville originated with the mystic poet Sri Aurobindo, who dreamed of a "universal city" of the spirit. This vision was brought to life in 1968 by his French-born spiritual collaborator, Mirra Alfassa, known as "The Mother."

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This is a very centralising government which does not like any free-thinking bodies or individuals who have functional autonomy.