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

[V. Sasi Kumar]

On Fri, 2008-09-19 at 12:43 +0530, Anivar Aravind wrote:

> My questions are Following
> 
> 1.Is this event anyway related with Free Software Foundation?

FSF India has not been formally informed of this meeting or the
formation of FSF-TN. We came to know only through the website

> 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?

This meeting has nothing to do with FSF India. They have not informed us
anything about the meeting, or even about the people who are organising
it. I guess they are not interested in getting support from the Free
Software community either.

> 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?

There is no decision to start regional FSFs. They have used the logo of
FSF India in their Newsletter which is downloadable. Their use of the
logo is, actually, illegal. They have not even informed FSF India

> 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.

This remains a mystery in view of the surreptitious manner in which they
are organising the event.

> 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.

No one seems to know. We have sent mails to the known addresses to find
out who these people are.

> 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.

That seems to be true. This is a CPM event and the objective god only
knows.

> 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

This would appear to be part of an attempt to float a parallel process
to take over the Free Software movement in the country. While I too have
no objection to anyone helping the Free Software movement in the country
or even independently promoting Free Software (as many groups are
already doing), what this group is doing is really sabotaging the whole
movement itself by causing confusion among FS supporters. This is
unethical and could even be illegal (using our logo without our
permission). This is very unfortunate.

Best
-- 
V. Sasi Kumar
Free Software Foundation of India
http://swatantryam.blogspot.com