[Fsf-friends] Fwd: A CPIM Hijack of Free Software Foundation?

[Anivar Aravind]

Posting this reply to list . mailman seems to be  behaving strangely.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Nagarjuna G. <nagarjun at gnowledge.org>
Date: Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Subject: Re: A CPIM Hijack of Free Software Foundation?
To: Anivar Aravind <anivar.aravind at gmail.com>
Cc: Principal Support List of FSF-India <fsf-friends at mm.gnu.org.in>, rms at gnu.org


we have asked for a clarification from the organizers.  FSF India is
not informed by the organizers themselves.

Nagarjuna

On Fri, Sep 19, 2008 at 12:02 PM, Anivar Aravind
<anivar.aravind at gmail.com> wrote:
> Today I came to know about an event called freedom and software
> happening in Chennai on 21st September  through a blog.
> The event website is a google site
> http://sites.google.com/site/freedomandsoftware/ Most of the friends
> participating are our friends. But this mail is for some
> clarifications
>
> The invitation text says  following
>
> <quote>
> M. Subramanian - The Mayor, N. Ram - Editor, The Hindu, Debesh Das -
> Minister of Information Technology, West Bengal, Kiran Chandra -
> Director, Free Software Foundation India & Prabir Purkayastha -
> Secretary, Delhi Science Forum, have been confirmed to be the panel of
> speakers.
>
> The objective of the event will be the launch of the project for the
> development of a Tamil Version of the GNU/ Linux operating system. The
> launch will be made by the Mayor, M.Subramanian. The project will be
> developed by engineering students with able technical support from the
> IT professionals & professors, and infrastructural support by the
> entrepreneurs.
>
> The logo and caption for the Free Software Foundation, Tamil Nadu will
> be launched by Mr. N. Ram.
>
> The event will be attended by the IT professionals, Entrepreneurs,
> Researchers and professors of reputed colleges, from all over the
> country and the registration will be open to all, so you can bring all
> your friends as well. There will be no entry fee for the same.
> </quote>
>
> My questions are Following
>
> 1.Is this event anyway related with Free Software Foundation?
>
> 2. This news is not announced  in any Free Software Mailing lists,
> like FSF-Friends, FSF-Tn(http://mm.gnu.org.in//pipermail/fsf-tn/) ILUG
> Chennai etc . It is not announced yet in gnu.org.in also. Why This
> much secrecy around this?
>
> 3.. The above invitation text says "logo and caption for the Free
> Software Foundation, Tamil Nadu will be launched" in the function. Is
> FSF India decided to start regional FSFs? If yes why  this is
> organising in a a secret maner?
>
> 3. The Invitation text says "The objective of the event will be the
> launch of the project for the development of a Tamil Version of the
> GNU/ Linux operating system", why there is a need of another
> distribution when tamil is well supported in most of the upstream
> distributions? . Let it be the work of  Tamil Localisation groups.
>
> 4. The contacts provided in the website contact page is not at all
> familiar in Free Software Community. And There is no information on
> who is organising this event.
>
> On a quick checkup with friends in Chennai, they  says it is an event
> Organised by Communist Party of India (Marxist) . Thats why the
> secrecy. I don't have a problem in a political party supporting free
> software cause. But If it is the case i am very suspicious on
> following points
> 1. The exclusion of the Free Software Movement in Chennai in Organising it,
> 2. Creating a body with power structure before Contributing anything .
> I dont think a free software Foundation is not needed for releasing a
> Localised GNU/Linux Distribution
> 3. Secrecy in whole process of a Public event
>
> I am expecting a reply from FSF India on this
>
> Anivar
>



--
Nagarjuna G.
http://www.gnowledge.org/