[FSUG-Bangalore] Declaration of National Convention on Free Software

[Vikram Vincent]

Information Technology is revolutionizing the way people communicate
with other and the way companies run their business. The new space –
the cyber space—has facilitated the people around the globe to
organize and exchange knowledge, goods and services on a global scale.
Mailing lists, forums and online communities are a few forms in which
people around the globe organize and exchange ideas, independent of
space and time. Encyclopaedias made by communities (groups in the
cyberspace) are gaining acceptability. While IT and global
connectivity has the enormous potential of communities of people in
different parts of the world working together for a better future, it
can also lead to increasing monopoly of power by a few corporations.
In order to fulfil the promise of IT and global connectivity be
monopolized by proprietary software and proprietary systems.

Free Software has convincingly demonstrated to the world how knowledge
building is enhanced by freedom, openness and social consciousness.
Today, Free Software Movement, has got around 2 million volunteers
across the world. It has shown that software incorporating the freedom
to use, adapt and modify and disseminate leads to a higher quality of
software and a valid business model. The worldwide acceptance of this
new paradigm of "copyleft" is now encompassing new areas such as
biology and the creative arts.

In spite of such significant advances over the last two decades, the
proprietary systems and corporations promoting such systems are still
trying to influence Governments, international bodies, regulatory
systems and educational institutions to restrict the freedoms
propounded by free software community. Various proprietary standards
are being proposed and there are continuous attempts not only to
extend the boundary of proprietary software but also try and "fence"
knowledge and software using alien tools such as patents.

It is in this context that this convention has decided to take up as
an urgent action plan the following:

1) Procurement of software by Government, Government
organizations/undertakings and Government funded organization shall be
Free Software.

2) Only non-proprietary software and data formats to be used for any
Government work.

3) Making all software developed under Government funding to be made
Free Software and put in public domain

4) The recent change introduced in the copyright law that allowed
encryption, and hardware locking should be opposed.

5) University Grants Commission should ensure the usage of Free
Software both in the curriculum framework and research.

6) The Government should take initiative in starting Free Software
Development Centres suited for Indian requirements and developmental
goals.

7) All fonts in Indian languages developed under Governmental aegis to
be immediately put in public domain.

8) Time bound development and standardization of Indian language
coding systems, keyboards and fonts under DIT aegis.

9) Promotion of Free Software in schools, colleges, universities and
the curriculum should not name any brand.

10) Promoting self-reliance in IT sector.

11) Internet access to every individual within 2km radius within a
time bound programme.

We demand that the State and Central governments to accept the above
demands. We appeal to the community to rise in large number to
pressurize the governments to accept the above mentioned demands.
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