[Fsf-friends] Comrades’ new-found love with IT

[V. Sasi Kumar]

On Thu, 2009-01-01 at 13:04 +0530, sandeep sr wrote:

> Finally CPM has decided to take the plunge, putting all speculations to rest.
> It will be really bad if things go by the way as reported.

I would suggest not to jump to conclusions quickly. I wouldn't totally
believe the report if only because it is from the same person who wrote
a lot of falsehood about SPACE, IT Mission and Arun.

> If opportunists start controlling the Free Software movement, it is
> very likely that it is the ideals of FS that is going to be modified
> more than any software under it. They can't be blamed for it, since it
> is quite habitual for them to reverse their announced policies as part
> of trying to catch up with the present, just as they did in the case
> of World Bank and ADB loans(to name just two).

I don't think the CPIM would do a somersault so soon. Remember, the
party and the government got a lot of good publicity worldwide through
the policy to support Free Software. The party did help in our fight
against software patents too. And the fact that they are holding FS
meetings shows that they are still interested in FS. Maybe they find
that supporting the FS movement is good for them.

> Madhyamam, a local daily today has a report by P.K Prakash that Mr.
> Joseph Mathew, was removed from his post as IT Advisor to the Kerala
> CM, as he resisted the efforts of a group from taking over FSF India.

The official reason given is something very different and I hope that is
the truth.

> The attempts to organize a local FSF chapter in TN without the consent
> of the Board Members, the Kochi conference, and the latest reports ...
> may be the 'hijack' theory was not entirely baseless.

I don't think it is easy to hijack the FS movement. The move to start an
FSF chapter in Chennai was probably the act of some misguided supporters
of the party. Even the Kochi conference was a good effort, except that
some of the people involved were probably not quite familiar with the FS
ethos. So let us not start speculations. Instead, let us concentrate on
our work -- building good software and promoting the ideal of freedom.

Wishing everyone Happy Hacking in the New Year
-- 
V. Sasi Kumar
Free Software Foundation of India
http://swatantryam.blogspot.com