You can't build a road over my soul - The Voice of Auroville's Resistance

Описание: This video was taken offline in September 2024 after several residents requested the removal of their images, fearing potential repercussions affecting their visa status in Auroville. Even the singer has chosen to remain anonymous - a telling sign of the pressure facing this experimental township in South India.
The song emerged during a critical time for Auroville and the community continues to face an unprecedented crisis threatening two of its core principles: participatory governance and environmental consciousness. Through powerful lyrics and imagery, it captures the pain of watching forests being cut down, farms being sold off, and residents losing their homes and livelihoods - but also the unwavering spirit of a community determined to preserve its values.
'You can build a road over my home, but you can't build a road over my soul' - this refrain speaks to the heart of the current conflict, where a development-at-any-cost approach clashes with Auroville's 56-year vision of sustainable growth and collective decision-making.
While some original faces had to be removed from this video, the message remains: after more than five decades of building a unique experiment in human unity, Auroville's residents continue to stand for their founding principles, despite mounting pressures.

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Auroville is an international community founded in 1968 in Tamil Nadu, South India, dedicated to the ideal of human unity and the evolution of a more conscious society. Working to build "the city the Earth needs," over 3,500 residents from 60 different countries have transformed a barren plateau into a thriving ecosystem, demonstrating innovative approaches across all aspects of human endeavor - where environmental stewardship and resilience are fundamental necessities. The project has received over 50 international awards for its pioneering work in sustainable architecture, water conservation, renewable energy, education, social innovation and more. The township was endorsed five times by UNESCO and is supported by the Government of India through the Auroville Foundation Act of 1988.