[Fsf-friends] Free Software a Social Movement yet ???

[Anilkumar KV]

I do not know whether there is any clear cut definition for Social Movement.
And any attempt to fit this commonly used terms in to a sharply defined
constraints will be a worthless effort. In general, the term Social Movement
represent gathering together of individuals or organizations focused on
mutually agreed political or social change.

In that sense free software movements are social movements. Same will be the
case of political parties as well. However I have to say, even if the free
software movements have global reach, it is very weak when compared to other
social movements existed in our milieu. And I feel some of the free software
groups in India are not socially matured. That is why an organisation like
FSF-India is reluctant to adopt democratic way of functioning. Same is also
evident through the hostile mails against CPI(M) appeared in this list.

I feel CPI(M) is also a part of free software movement in India. As some one
pointed out here, they are working in a boarder social and political circle
when compared to us ( the free software movements), they have done more
struggles to empower the people, for which freedom as advocated by us is an
essential one. They have realised it even before free software movements
takes its shape. We have to appreciate their efforts and should learn things
from them.

Tarnish the image of a partner organisation with baseless allegation will no
way help our further reach-out to the society. We have to make out strategy
to over come our weakness, for which we have to work with other social
movements including political parties, who really agrees with the philosophy
of software freedom on the basis of a common minimum program.

- Anilkumar KV
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mm.gnu.org.in/pipermail/fsf-friends/attachments/20090110/d53754fb/attachment.htm