[Fsf-india] IKM and national honours

[Khuzaima A. Lakdawala]

> > The full story is at:
> >
> > http://www.thehindu.com/stories/2002041405350400.htm
> 
> And the earlier story that will expose the whole deal is at
> http://www.india-today.com/webexclusive/dispatch/20000729/rkrishnan1.html

The above is *proof* of point #3 of "Why Cost is not an Issue:"

3. Government procurement: This is actually a non-issue. We all know
   that procurement decisions of our governments are based on several
   complex criteria (many of them _extraneous_) which have very little
   to do with *COST*. The less said about this the better.

> This might reveal the symptom, if not the disease.

This is the symptom of the *great* disease that afflicts Government
Procurement; this disease does not differentiate between procurement
of coffins for martyrs and procurement of software for e-governance.

Please allow me to take this opportunity to stress once again:

Trying to change government procurement policies is not our
fight. That is a *much* bigger fight to be fought elsewhere. The fight
for Software Freedom pales into insignificance compared to this fight.

So, whatever little resources and energy that our movement has should
be focused on the *people* and not on the government.

> CK Raju

-- 
Khuzaima A. Lakdawala