[Fsf-friends] And now the Kerala Electricity Board goes Microsoft

[CK Raju]

On Friday 11 April 2003 10:38 am, Suraj Kumar wrote:
> All of this means the politicians get to launder lesser money and that
> means smaller  scope for their corruption to  flourish. Corruption and
> the race for  power needs to be eliminated  without which the benefits
> of free software would only be  a threat to them (the politicians) and
> hence they would seek quicker ways to eliminate us.  More quicker and
> more desperate than proprietary software giants.

This is my fear, and I suppose this is exactly what is happening behind t=
he=20
scenes. Our country is fast losing true politics and politicians. And we =
have=20
to deal now with the new generation spies, who work for the betterment of=
=20
proprietary corporates at the expense of our countrymen.

Looking from the 'other side', this fact also appears to be 'good signals=
' =20
for multinational corporations, in that they can 'buy anyone' and have 't=
he=20
views of those corporates' endorsed. Our best of bureaucrats would fall a=
t=20
the small temptation of a sponsored 'foreign trip' and would get all the=20
background work done for the Minister to sign official agreement, 'on beh=
alf=20
of Government' with the proprietary establishments. A look at the list of=
=20
'top civil servants' who have gone on 'foreign trips' in the past three y=
ears=20
and a re-look at their official views on 'software policy' would throw up=
=20
interesting revelations. And if any journalist is ready for an=20
'investigation', the presence of 'Swiss agents' posing as 'donors', would=
=20
complete the story.

Crying 'shame' can no longer put these 'corrupt officials' into shame, a=20
reason, why I maintain that in the fight between a 'corrupt stand' and an=
=20
'ethical stand', inevitably, it would be corrupt stand that would win.=20
(Imagine a two-faced theatre, where one side plays bharathanatyam and the=
=20
other side features cat-walk with revealing dress, and try to place where=
 the=20
audience would eventually land up.)

CK Raju