News & Notes 930:Note from FAMC (of the Secretary's office)
Note from Entity::FAMC (of the Secretary's office)
Dear All, it is a challenging time for Auroville and for all of us. So many opinions, information and rumors are floating around, and it is very difficult to get a clear picture of anything. The situation is complex, but the main driver of it all is actually a need for compliance and oversight. And it is not something that hits Auroville alone, all of India is going through a strong move into being compliant, with laws, tax, policies and regulations, and it will go on for years to come.
Auroville has been used to a very relaxed way of doing accounting, spending of funds, GST, regulations, etc. And we have created, by organic growth, a very complex organizational setup and governance, which is very difficult to make compliant. We got away with it for many years, even if the previous Governing Board constantly asked for changesand improvements. The introduction of GST, amplified all the problems.
The previous FAMC members all tried what they could, but systemic problems made it hard and time consuming to make changes fast enough.
Arrival of a new Governing Board and Secretary increased the intensity of the situation. They also have to be compliant. The Governing Board and Secretary are basically responsible for all activities of Auroville towards The Ministry of Education and The Indian Government. All assets, financial as well as physical, belong to the Auroville Foundation, and accounts for this as well as proper use, are under the oversight of the Secretary and Governing Board. They for sure can’t take their responsibility as lightly as before, and they demand fast improvements and changes. If you have read the Minutes from last Governing Board meetings, it should be very clear for all. And it is not a coincidence that the first to undergo auditing, in the very large auditing exercise which is under way, was the Foundation Office itself. Everybody is under compliance pressure, Secretary and Governing Board, included.
Trying to resist this compliance pressure is futile and also arrogant, in the sense why we should be allowed to avoid adherence to Indian laws and regulations.
The only way forward is to accept the need for change, and do whatever we can, and accept help, to clean our own house. And it is better that we do it ourselves – by refusing, it will only mean others will come in and do it. Inside Auroville work is done by Aurovilians. The inner governance we want comes by keeping our house, administration and management clean and efficient – then nobody will interfere, not the Secretary nor the Governing Board. But when things fail and collapse, the Governing Board is obliged to interfere, that is why they are called the Governing Board.
This new FAMC’s main task is cleaning and compliance of data, accounts, decisions, and management. It is a huge, most likely an ungrateful task, but of the utmost importance for the survival of Auroville. Time can’t be turned back. So please try to understand the seriousness and support the work that needs to be done.
From Monday, 11 July, onwards for next two weeks, the FAMC team will be ready to meet members of the community in the FAMC office, Archives building, first floor, rear side from 3:30 to 4:30pm every day except Sunday. See you there.
In Her Service,
Smiles,
FAMC (Chandresh, Geeta, Jocelyn, Kalya, Sathyanarayan and Torkil)