Imagine an in-house magazine that can count as its readers the President, influential bureaucrats and diplomats in overseas Embassies.
From the visit of the Dalai Lama to the completion of Matrimandir, Auroville Today has kept a tab on key events, the growth and challenges the community in the City of Dawn has faced during a journey that has spanned 25 years and 300 issues.
The title, the magazine admits in its very first editorial in November 1988, is not the most exciting but its focus has always been on ‘the here and now’ and in that sense the title could not have been more apt.
The launch of ‘Auroville Today’, monthly English-language publication, in November 1988 coincided with the significant Centrally promulgated Auroville Foundation Act, and since then, has faithfully documented life in this universal township in over 300 issues. Auroville Today began after a previous magazine failed in covering the day-to-day, gritty aspects of what was happening in Auroville. It was this information gap that the magazine set out to plug.
The magazine has asked some difficult questions regarding administration, town planning, the economy of Auroville, environmental concerns and issues like land acquisition.
It is by no means a PR magazine, say editors Carel Thieme and Alan Herbert. As the editors have a policy of feedback with the interviewees, the magazine has become an accurate, unique and complete archive of 25 years of Auroville, feels Mr. Thieme. “We want to primarily serve the ideal of Auroville. That means at times we can be critical. We can ask difficult questions. It is basically part of what we are doing. One reader in Belgium said that after reading an issue, he now knows Auroville is not a sect. No sect questions itself no sect is critical of itself. We are happy to play that role. We do not go looking for things that are wrong but we raise those questions,” says Mr. Herbert.
The magazine is not just read by Aurovilians. In fact, it began as a vehicle of information to the Auroville International Centres across the world which were networking with officials and people interested in Auroville abroad. Different departments of the Indian government such as Home Ministry and the Foreign Ministry also required information. At present, copies reach the President, Indian Ambassadors and foreign embassies in Delhi. In the initial days, government officials thought of Auroville as ‘a strange fish’ says Mr. Thieme. “All these foreigners here, people wanted to know what is going on and what we are doing,” he says, adding there was no internet at the time and hence flow of information on Auroville was limited. The duo also decided to restrict content to news in Auroville and not comment on events around the world, says Mr. Thieme.
The magazine has done over 100 interviews, says Mr. Herbert. With profiles on Aurovilians, news and developments, the magazine tries to maintain a ‘balanced view’ and present all possible side on issues, say the duo.
The eight-page Auroville Today is published every month except for June and July, which sees a double issue. Of a circulation of 1000 copies, 300 reach Aurovilians while 800 are sent to different places in India and abroad. With no advertisements, Auroville Today operates on its subscription fee. The team is also working on the launch of a digital edition, which will be available on tablets and mobile phones soon.
Mr. Thieme and Mr. Herbert are rather nonchalant about the 300th issue milestone. They have been continuing with work as usual, they say. They are aware of its important role. Despite facing challenges in bringing out the issue regularly, they have kept going as readers have asked them to. “We get lot of feedback from abroad and within India telling us we have to continue as what we are giving is unique. Nobody in Auroville gives what you are giving, they have said,” says Mr. Thieme. While Mr. Thieme, who was a corporate lawyer in Holland and Mr. Herbert, who was a lecturer at a university in England, have been the constant presence at Auroville Today, many others have worked for the magazine over the years. With Mr. Herbert around, Auroville Today will always use British English, jokes Mr. Thieme.
