[Fsf-friends] Akshaya project

[eiidp]

CDIT has distributed  copies of RH9  to state IT mission. These CD's were 
labelled with redhat logo. Another CD  which contains interactive study 
materials developed by CDIT for entry-level users is also distributed, This 
CD is not labelled with  redhat logo or any thing else which has a reference 
of  redhat. 

The interactive CDs mainly contains audio-visual stuffs. There are some 
programs to render and  present these stuffs plus some installation scripts. 
In addition, this CD contains, a program named Aksharavidya (an entry level 
editor package having Malayalam interface, with features like colour change, 
font change, Line alignment etc. ) and another program named 'Webdharsini' ( 
A highly featured browser  based on Mozilla with Malayalam interface). All 
these programs are distributed in source tar balls. The installation scripts 
compile and load these program during installation. 

Hence it is baseless to say that “They made packages which looked like 
redhat packages.”. 

Let me briefly go through the  incidents that lead to the distribution of free 
software for Akshaya. This may further lead to unmask the current  campaign 
against free software in the state.

Initially CDIT was asked by state IT mission to develop a interactive CD for 
microsoft platform. 

During the inauguration ceremony of Akshaya project, the opposition leader V S 
Achuthanandhan  in the presence of President Abdul Kalam, has demanded the 
use of free software.  

Due to this compulsion IT mission was forced to distribute free software 
stuffs for Akshaya projects. They have asked CDIT to replicate the CDs for 
Linux. So CDIT has gone through the above said exercises.

At the same time, the state microsoft lobby,  is working hard to topple all 
the free software based projects in the state. The current manufactured 
reports on free software for Akshaya is one of their latest attempt. 

The IKM ( Information Kerala Mission), after a long five year has almost 
surrendered their attempt to computerise the panchayaths. It would have been 
completed long  back, it they had used the free software. Now microsoft lobby 
has to hide the failure of IKM and they had to ensure that this project 
should be done on microsoft platform. So they are attempting BOLT (built, 
operate, lease and transfer)  for panchayath computerisation. They are in the 
process of fabricating the tender documents for BOLT agencies, so as to 
ensure its implementation using microsoft. 

In order to hide these process they have to make some controversy and 
confusion over the  use of free software. Hence the ill-motivated campaign 
against free software for Akshaya.

We should be very vigilant on these attempts by state microsoft lobby. 

Regards,

Anil