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

[Anivar Aravind]

> 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 feel This reporter is backed by some evil advocates trying to push
Proprietary Software in Kerala.

As I heard ( some of my friends are participated on that meeting)  no
such moves happened in that meeting. Let me quote from another mail I
posted on Fourth Estate Critique E-Group (A list of media people in
Trivandrum, archive is not public) on 21st evening ( The day in which
this meeting is happened) in 2 another Discussion threads Related to
Proprietary software promotion by Information Kerala mission(IKM) in
Local  Self Governance  and an embeded report in indian express (by
same reporter)targeting SPACE & 2 Free Softwares Promotion programmes
of it.

<quote>
All IKM people were present at Cochin today on CPIM's meeting to
popularize  Free Software :-)
Pinayrayi Vijayan , P.Rajeev, Anwar sadath from IT at school etc were
leaded the programme. They formed a state level committee for this
(joseph thomas from ATPS/OSS ICS is the convener, District
coordinators were selected)
The meeting also decided to create an online  squad of party cadre to
counter the critiques against party in cyberspace.

I can now really understand the meaning of Indian express report.

Dear Press friends & list members
Free Software Community in Kerala is not on any of the groups in
CPIM>. We are not interested to limit ourself in fractions of a
political party. We believe Free Software way is more inclusive &
transforming  the world much better  than these groups. we are busy
with Free Software Development, Advocacy, User Groups  & our own jobs.

3 more Free Software community events are coming on next 2 months .
Hackerdom in Thrissur(jan 9-11, http://hackerdom.in ), FOSSmeet at MEC
(Model Engineering College, Eranakulam  http://foss.mec.ac.in ) and
FOSSmeet@ NITC in Calicut( http://fossmeet.in ). I request your
cooperation for spreading the message of Free Software to Common
people.
</quote>


The P.rajeevs quote in IE Report also justifies above information I
got from my friends.


> 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 think we dont need to afraid about any Kind of  political party
control on Movement or FSFI(after the board statement). FS movement
cant be never controlled by people with a politics of exclusion. And
only way to get stake in movement is only by Contributing to it.  I
still this space is still Open for any Political parties. Some
political parties may succeed for a time being to act as Vanguards of
FS movement  in front of media. But it will change when movement is
growing. As I quoted above, I still feel Kerala CPIM is still in the
track of promoting Free Software. But merging the same initiative with
"party's image control' on cyberspace is certainly bad. As a follow up
of this meeting  They Organised a Training to Their Youth wing (DYFI)
on 28th & 29th at Ottappalam, Palakkad district. This really shows
they are still on right path. Leave the specific interests of the
reporter & people behind it.


> 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 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.

Most of the media reports and Joseph's statement in Todays news papers
reflects it is related to IT/ITES SEZs. This report will
http://dailypioneer.com/147238/Anil-Kumar-Joseph-tender-resignations.html

Anyway I dont think the issues pointed by you is not completely out of
context. These kind of news is already spreading. Some friends inside
the Party told me ,  in the meeting there was  criticism against
joseph for our boycott Novell campaign in Kochi conference in which he
don't have any role. Anyway I dont think party is that much foolish to
properly understand these kind of Conspiracy theories propagated by
Joseph Thomas & team. I am not believing it


Anivar Aravind

-- 
Any responsible politician should be encouraging a home grown Free
Software industry because it creates the basis for future jobs.
Learning Windows is like learning to eat every meal at McDonalds.