The Spirit of Auroville

I wrote a letter dated 25.9.74 to M. André.

Dear M. André,

Good morning. Thank you for returning the script. I will follow the Mother's instructions.

I must let you know that last night when I was with my mother and nephew Suresh he received a phone call from Ramanathan saying that he had been looking for Suresh the whole day because the people concerned wanted the report to the resident representative of the Ford Foundation (it is a Charitable Trust) on the grant for a survey of the Auroville project.

As you know this was quite a big report about 40 pages or so, signed by the Mother as President of the Sri Aurobindo Society.

My nephew answered Ramanathan that all these papers are with Prabhat and Shyamsunder. The people concerned could get the papers from them.

If they would have done exactly according to the Mother's wish and guidance they would not have gone through such a severe crisis as they are in now.

I heard that the copy of the Report has already been given to Navajata.

Yours

Huta

EXTRACT FROM THE DOCUMENT FOR THE FORD FOUNDATION: THE FIVE POINTS FOR WHICH MOTHER APPROVED THE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING APPROACH FOR THE BUILDING OF THE TOWN.

Auroville is unique—not only it is a city being constructed from scratch, but it combines the social, economic and physical aspects of the city in a manner designed to enhance the evolutionary process in man.

At Auroville various factors have entered our consideration regarding the decision to apply the systems engineering approach to the planning and implementation of Auroville.

Firstly, the Auroville project is of great proportions requiring a large magnitude of resources for its development. If an efficient method of implementation is not applied, wasteful but avoidable expenditure can easily be committed perhaps necessitating further expenditure to rectify mistakes. It is precisely to achieve maximum results from the least expenditure of resources and time that this planning approach is suitable.

Secondly, the establishment of a completely new city raises a multifaceted group of problems, which require a multidisciplinary approach that this planning approach can provide, while at the same time keeping to the constraints imposed by the ideals of Auroville.

Thirdly, so far the progress at Auroville has been, quite frankly, of a slow nature and unsystematic when compared to the possibilities that exist with the use of the systems engineering approach, which is a highly goal-oriented planning and implementation approach—a process which is efficient and directed. Hence the development of Auroville has reached a stage when the systems engineering approach for the work at hand is a necessity.

Fourthly, the systems engineering approach at the same time helps Auroville discharge its major responsibility of ensuring efficient and effective use of funds donated or granted to it by individuals, industries, charitable and other institutions, and governments.

Fifthly, the systems approach is a relatively new technique employed in the solution of complex problems. In a way at Auroville all the problems of urbanisation will be faced at the very outset, requiring therefore an equally all embracing technique for their solution, since Auroville is yet to be built and peopled. Similarly, over time as industrialisation progresses with the development of the country, urbanisation will also continue increasingly within the country —presenting those complex town planning problems which have to be resolved. It is here that the researches and applications of systems engineering can contribute a wealth of material in solution of problems related to the development of a complete township and partly to the existing towns.

Thursday 13 March 1969

Unfortunately due to the adverse interference this project never materialised.