THIRD TIME LUCKY !?!

Over the past 5 months and more we have been constantly writing to various high-ranking Govt. Officials of India updating them of our fast deteriorating situation and requesting them to help us and save us from the wayward and unruly trustees of Ashram. Yesterday was the third time that our actions have been personally acknowledged and let us hope that this time round, the third time, we shall get results.

HIS EXCELLENCY, the Hon’ble Home Minister of India Sri Rajnath Singh-ji, having received many SOS-Faxes from us during this past week, called Arunashri last evening who assured her safety for all of us. He had already spoken to her twice before with the same assurance and once again his words of encouragement and concern have further reinforced our bones with steely resolve. We are deeply grateful to him and sincerely thank HIS EXCELLENCY Sri Ranjath Singh-ji.

However even persons like the Hon’ble Home Minister have only a fixed tenure of the position he holds whereas the trustees enjoy lifelong tenure without accountability or any method of selection. Therefore the trustees have become a law unto themselves and listen to no one.

Since yesterday there was no Trust Board meeting we hand-delivered our letter dated 15.12.2014 to Dilip Dutta, Batti and Manoj Das Gupta, without asking for any acknowledgement from them. Dilip Mehtani refused to accept our letter and we could not find Abhipsa Nagda. But we were assured by Manoj Das Gupta that in the Trust Board meeting being held today he would put forward our letter for the trustees’ decision.

I am producing below the text of the undertaking which we have asked the trustees to give us. This time, since our lives are anyway almost forfeited, we shall not budge or compromise in our rightful demand. The fate of the trustees, their many well-wishers and supporters as well as the Ashram community depends on the decisions made by them today before 12.00 p.m. We are waiting and watching with calm indifference – LOSS OF LIFE or LIFE WITH DIGNITY.

VICTOIRE A LA DOUCE MERE – LET THY WILL PREVAIL!

UNDERTAKING GIVEN BY THE TRUSTEES OF

SRI AUROBINDO ASHRAM TRUST, PONDICHERRY

TO ALL WHOMSOEVER IT MAY CONCERN

We, (1) MANOJ DAS GUPTA, (2) DILIP KUMAR DUTTA, (3) DILIP MEHTANI, (4) PRABHAKAR RUPANAGUNTA @ BATTI and (5) ABHIPSA NAGDA, the trustees of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, are willing and ready to provide and extend immediately all the facilities of Ashram like ‘Prosperity Book’ for 2015 and subsequent years, medical care, food, shelter (as already occupied presently), laundry, P.E.D., cycle repairs, etc. and as extended to every inmate of the Ashram, to the five sisters viz. (1) JAYASHREE PRASAD, (2) ARUNASHRI PRASAD, (3) RAJYASHRI PRASAD, (4) NIVEDITA PRASAD and (5) HEMLATA PRASAD, till the completion of the trial and the final disposal of the cases pending between us.

We do not wish that the Order dated 09.12.2014 passed in Contempt Petition No.395/2014 in S.L.P. No.27620/2012 should be executed. Therefore we request the Pondicherry Police not to act on the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India passed in its Order dated 09.12.2014.

Date:  15.12.2014

Place: Pondicherry