[Fsf-friends] A National Shame

[Nagarjuna G.]

On 12/15/06, doxa at sancharnet.in <doxa at sancharnet.in> wrote:
>
> Surely this is an occasion of national shame to all of us, who work to
> propagate
> values of freedom in an information society. It should also put to shame
> the
> recommendations of  Knowledge Commission of India to Govt of India -
> because
> already 14 states have already entered into partnership with Microsoft,
> some
> for the last 13 years. Its also a shame to the Right to Information Act
> 2005,
> where "preservation of confidentiality of sensitive information" has been
> thrown to winds - because these are now guaranteed only if US State agrees
> -
> refer Akbar Raj's case and the stunts followed by Kerala Police with
> Microsoft
> HQs and US Security Department.
>
> No longer can the Ministry of Local Self Governments in Kerala now deny
> that
> Information Kerala Mission is outside this nefarious design of this
> proprietary
> corporate. Even then which are the other 13 states ? What is NIC doing
> with
> Microsoft ? What is Min of IT, Govt of India doing with Microsoft ?
>
> Are all these happening with the consent of the citizens ?
>
> Do we have a right to know ?


FSF India should launch a nationwide campagn and alert the citizens as well
as administrators of the dangers of these collaborations between public
bodies and profit-only motivated proprietary software companies.

Nagarjuna