[...] to watch Movie -Anti trust (Its only a Story ). You can get more update from Anivar’s blog  about issue and pictures from Arky. I have also uploaded few photos of conference in my album [...]

“Vikram Vincent, who is senting abusive mails now also joined us while putting Poster in Front of the Open air State.”
I support just issue but can’t stand lies. Do provide proof when making accusations.

Vikram Vincent added these pithy words on Nov 18 08 at 7:24 pm

Since some changes have been made in the blog let me clarify — provide links to mails where I have been abusive in the least.

Vikram Vincent added these pithy words on Nov 18 08 at 9:01 pm

Finally Anivar’s version of the incidents also appeared. It does not differ much from that of other witness on the spot, except his denial on the reported outburst that 10 posters will be posted for each one removed.

For the sake of further analysis, let me consider Anivar’s version alone.

He agrees that they have prepared the posters at CUSAT computer center. There was no opposition from any of the organisers.

He agrees that they have posted it on the flex showing program chart. No body from organisers questioned them.

He agrees that they have posted the posters at various places where conferences takes place. The organisers does not denied their right to protest.

He agrees that they have posted the poster on Novell’s flex out side the entrance of the exhibition stall and Novell guy asked them to remove it. Upon the complaint from the Novell, the organisers are forced to prevent the protesters from such activities.

The remaining thing happened is as per the dynamics of a quarrel between two groups. If individuals involved in the quarrel reacts with emotions the tense will be more.

If Anivar is having any regard for the freedom he cherish and preaches with respect to software, he should not have pasted the posters on the Novell’s property.

Regarding his personal accusation against me, let me make one thing clear. Even though, myself and Anivar can work together on a common minimum program of promoting software freedom, I did not subscribe to any thoughts that led Anivar to deny freedom of other agencies.

- Anilkumar K V

Anilkumar K V added these pithy words on Nov 18 08 at 11:58 pm

The organisers of the conference have in no way antogonised the protesters. Protest is now part of the conference as somebody pointed out. The organisers have no claim that they are all pure users of free software. Vast majority of the participants may be users of MS products. The arrogant attack of the free software spokspersons and protesters might only be humiliating for those among them who still use MS. Whatever it be, the message of protest is very well made with all the hue and cry. That part is well done.

Anivar is now blaming Anil for not coming to his rescue. He is happy that Arun has come to his rescue and argued with the organisers for and on behalf of Anivar. Arun was not having any work to be done in this venue except participating in the conference. But Anil was having many thing to be done and hence could not have got time to reach there. How can Anil be a culprit only because of his absence on the spot of commotion. Any way Anivar got the help of the IT Mission director, Mr Arun. This help may be a reward for the support he has given to FSF and Arun in the campaign against the very National Conference on Free Software, 2008 for having it called the 2nd. Now it is clear. But Anil doesnot seems to owe any such thing to any body.

Anivars opposition seems to be not against Novell but against the Conference itself. Had it been against Novell, it could have been peacefully conducted in the conference venue, without creating a scene compelling intervention of security staff. It seems that the entry into the exhibition hall was only to create this scene and was pre planned, because there was no chance for such a scene any where in the conference venue.

As for the allegation that Novell was brought in through back door, the fact is that it was proposed and accepted as platinum sponsor only on the 14th evening. Their name appears only on the backdrop of the conference/seminar venues and in the book detailing program schedule. No where else. Had it been there, it would have appeared on the site. Site couldnot be updated after 13th November.

Joseph Thomas

Joseph Thomas added these pithy words on Nov 19 08 at 10:30 pm

I just want to follow up the comments!

cheers

jinsbond007 added these pithy words on Nov 20 08 at 2:44 pm

Freedom is not a favour we receive. It is our right. CUSAT “allowing” expression of freedom is ridiculous!
“Freedom” itself is protest against “unfreedom”. It is a frontal attack on unfreedom. Free software movement is a protest movement! That is the way it should be.
Unfreedom should be opposed. Emotionally charged protests against unfreedom is nowhere inferior to any other forms of protest. When one invests one’s self for anything there will be emotion.
The vandalism unleashed by the undeserving “Doctors” of CUSAT only reminds the Bush Administration’s doctored version of freedom. Bush Administrationwas fighting for the hegemony of oil companies he was representing. Bhasi and his allies were representing NOVELL!
Forcing unfreedom in the guise of freedom is a rogue activity. Protest against such a rogue sabotage is ethical response to it. Freedom is not allotted to any one! It has to be grabbed. Why to lament on comments coming against India! A patriotic Bullshit!
Unfreedom whether comes through backdoor or front door those who defend freedom have to stop it. Freedom and unfreedom cannot co-exist.
Someone was writing about conspiracy. Conspiracy did not come from protesters. It is very much there. Micronovell IS a conspiracy.
In a world of unfreedom, fight against it cannot be other than “rash,” “impolite,” and “democratic” ( what is democracy for Mr.Joseph Thomas?). Nothing unfortunate happened. Something that deserves protest is protested. The protest should continue. Indeed it should gain more force and vigour.
Have RMS a say on this issue. That should bring some wisdom to the doctor and his allies like Joseph! The reconciliation Joseph describes reminds me of Stalin-Hitler reconciliation pack! Poor win-winners!
Dr.P.Madhu

P.Madhu added these pithy words on Nov 21 08 at 6:35 pm

People are worried about the protest against Software Patents(Basically threat raised by software patents). Worries are not about the idea, but against the way it happened(or shaped into).For some, it is an undemocratic way of protest. Since i am not quite good at the distinction between being democratic and undemocratic, i am not commenting on that part(Everyone feels stopping parliament session in the middle of discussions as democratic!).

Everybody agrees on the fact that patents are something which we should be worried about. Since CUSAT is a research university, they will have a good idea about the scenario(at least people who does research there and produces something). If they are conducting good enough research in Computer Science, they will understand how bad is the situation in India(or say good for people who simply want to make some field their own). As far as i know, CPI(M) was one of the few people(if not the only) who were ready to support the Community’s interest in parliament in the software patent issue. So, it is a well known fact to all(or at least organizers), how software patents become a threat. I saw in the schedule two sessions on patent related issues. So no one is unaware of the facts.

The conference was conducted to educate a large section of academia and public(i am much sure about this) about the opportunities of Free Software and importance of Freedom. Most of the people are new to the philosophy or unaware of the philosophy. If the aim was just to make them start using GNU/Linux instead of M$, much better means were there. A big conference of this margin for educating all about the Philosophy of the Freedom and it includes the fight against patents. So in any circumstances getting Novell as a Platinum sponsor was a bad decision on policy(there can be a thousand justifications and am happy with that, just saying it is pretty bad on face of the conference on freedom being used to promote Novell).

I have been to a Project meeting some days before where the issue of copyrighting, licensing and Patenting were discussed. I was shocked to know that, government advised us it is better to do defensive patenting for all the IP generated. The chance of corporates obtaining patents for these technology before you publish it anywhere is too high. I was also amazed on the fact that,comparatively if you have enough time and money to spend, it is easier to get a patent than a paper in any international journal(at least in software’s case). Both time and money is less with Academia, so corporates win a lot in this race. Microsoft is conducting a research project contest, where winners were given huge sum of money and even jobs. Only thing they take along with is the IP.

Situation is becoming much alarming that, before start thinking about implementing some standard XML structure we have to check whether someone obtained a similar patent(XML is much popular now a days with data storage mechanisms for big corpora or data exchange headers for update systems etc.,for many cases you can reuse the same schema, since you will be storing the same information, you will ultimately end up having no other choice but to reuse, result is a patent threat). Situation is not at all promising. It leaves us no choice but to patent, though we don’t want to spent our precious money and time on the process. Just go through hundreds of patents by Microsoft, Google and all have in India. You will find many trivial ones, which ultimately makes some fields monopoly of patent holder. If people say, its their business strategy, i don’t feel it as an acceptable one.

Then about getting sued, i recently read an account of someone getting sued for installing and enabling a particular ‘Blogger’ feature on his server. It appears like, patent was sold royalty per copy and he didn’t pay it since he downloaded directly from web. Think of a situation when, you are being sued for using the XML schema which came with yum/apt-get. You might be thinking I am joking on. But when i browsed through the IP claims by M$, one was about meta data exchange system for for software updating mechanisms. It was based on XML and they specifically claimed for some tags too. I didn’t have the time to read through whole 20-30 pages came along with it. But i strongly feel that, it can put yum/apt-get under patent threat(in a country where software patents are not legal). Anybody can think of, how many trivial tags are there in case of a software updating system. If they claimed patent for trivial ones, all will be under infringement. They didn’t produce any intellectual property there. Just reused the trivial information available on a new technology.

The situation is this bad. I know only a few people who devotes a lot of time to fight against this. One of them is Anivar. He is trying to compile list of most dangerous patent claims(trivial ones, which makes the fields monopoly of someone). He is also in the forefront of the people who work to get a post grant review of patents. He is someone surely understands the threat of patents and someone who can’t accept the fact of Novell promoting freedom(or understands they can never promote freedom).

If you think from your senses, a protest thought overnight and arranged in the very morning can not be the best. But, i believe he tried to make it the best. It was much better to make a Conference thought about and planned for months free from “Patent Threat”(innovations were possible even in organization of events, next time let us try that, can take the Obama’s money generation techniques as a sample, i thought Keralites were best known for the “പല തുള്ളി പെരുവെള്ളം” style). Already we are in a low side, it is high time to understand what are we doing.

jinsbond007 added these pithy words on Nov 21 08 at 11:33 pm

Since lots of things are taken for granted let me analyze jinsbond007’s urge for moderated democratic protests. (I do not target JINSBOND- I target the logical fallacies here
“People are worried”- which people?
Democracy and “stopping of the parliament” are two different things. Parliaments are never stopped. Though it appears as if some things are stopped. Parliament is an instrument to legitimize certain designs of those who have them. Parliamentary and presidential democracies could hardly stop anything! World wars, Microsofts, Monsontos, FIIs, nuclear deals, Gulf wars, War against terrorism,… every worldwide evils came through such “democratic” institutions. Democracy has been emerged into a body that could silence differences. Never before such an instrument silencing consents were possible. The ‘democratic systems’ are instruments of bio-power. Worries about “stopping the parliament”. Parliaments are never stopped! Just look at the way Nuclear deal is passed! All that was required is to take into confidence one person- The UPA chairperson! Things were cake walk! There was just a drama of protest- staged before our eyes!
“CUSAT is a research university”- What is research? Agreed that a lot of scientistic dramaturgy is staged there. Science is inherently revolutionary. It breaks down our biases. It questions every epistemologies. Science if progresses unconstrained it frees. Rituals of science does not do it! Which “scientist” was performing the Goonda role there? It was” Dr.” Bhasi. What was his science? Supply chain management? There are a lot scientistic. There is no science! Show me one scientific endeavour worth of its name undertaken by Bhasi and his colleagues! They are just being part of scientistic rituals. They do nothing better than a poojari in a local temple. These poojaris of scientism have no sense of science. They are anti-science. No institutions go against the spirit of democracy than those appear to be dedicated for democracy. Similarly, humans are not so much anti-scientific as the professors and students of “research institutes”. The foolish rituals carried on in the “research” institutes does not make them scientific! Dr.Bhasis’s department may not be ready to take the challenge of scrutinizing their scientific endeavour!
If they really do research they will become compassionate. That was not the feeling the CURSA could generate!
It is well and good that CPM stands for software freedom. That does not mean that they hold the final wisdom of freedom. It is fallacious to argue that CPM is the party that takes voice of the freedom so that we should surrender our sense of freedom to what ever they hold. If they are for freedom they will be irrespective of any one’s protest against their stand. If their stand depends on our docile yielding then their integrity should be questionable! Are they doing a favour?
“So, no one is unaware of the fact”- What a statement! This is how we slip into things. All that is necessary to be aware is to add few titles in a schedule! All that is democratic is to have a parliament and its smooth functioning! All that science requires is some researchers and professors practicing some scintistic rituals! Come on!
There lies the problem! There are some educators- Know alls. They took the heroic responsibility of “educating” the academia and public! It was not a “democratic” platform of equals! In their mission to “educate” they fail to learn. “Free software” argument was nothing more than an “opportunity” for the parties concerned. There lies the problem. You cannot educate without practicing, dear. How can somebody claim to educate masses on freedom! Who is sitting on that zenith! Look at the don-Quixote here! I am reminded of Marx’s humour on the Quixotes.
Bringing Novell is not just a bad policy decision of know-alls. It was not a helpless decision as they were in need of money. The fundamental problem is they wanted to “educate” something of which they had no clue! That is the pathetic condition of the research institutions and political parties. Where is research? Where is science? Where is freedom? Where is democracy? –
I appreciate your later paragraphs and your concerns. What you have written in earlier paragraphs is not a logical sequence of your concerns. I appreciate your honesty. Yet, I have to expose the emptiness of democracy, education, research…. Etc.
I think either the CURSA, Dr.B, Joseph, party men… etc., learn from the incident of protest or they still engage in empty posing of funding compulsions, democratic etiquettes, …. If they learn, something good happened. They get some glimpses of freedom. Or else they remain hypocrites as ever. The ball is in their court. Let us see whether the researchers, professors, parliamentarians have something to learn. If they do not learn, then there can be no use of these decaying lumps of flesh.
Not just an awareness of palathulli peru vellam is sufficient. “Orukudam paalinu oru thulli visham” should also be remembered.
I appreciate the last sentence. It is high time to understand what are we doing.

Madhu added these pithy words on Nov 22 08 at 6:24 am

The deliberate attempt to create untoward incident in free software national conference CUSAT is said to be out of fear on the part of FSFI secretary Sri. Arun M, of CUSAT being developed as a centre of FOSS and his losing the clout and importance of being the free software messaiah in Kerala.

The FSFI, the SPACE and ITMission run on their consultancy couldnot even ensure the use of free software in the very IT department or office systems in the Govt of Kerala. Even the mail sent from the International Conference office run by them in doc format has invited criticism of chairman of FSFI himself.
FSFI is Consultant to Govt of Kerala through SPACE abd Arun. FSFI secretary has been indulging in activities of international importance, utilising the resources of the Govt. Urgent need for the migration of systems worked on proprietary platforms in various departments in the Govt, including the secretariat and Chief Ministers office is not addressed. Local empowerment and HR building is the critical factor identified by the very IT department for accomplishing the task.

Govt is made to spend on international events and intitutions in the name of technology absorption and thus their inability is covered up. FSFI & SPACE together with IT Mission conducted an international conference last year by mobilising funds from Govt organisations. Sri. M Arun was aware of the declaration in the Hyderabad conference that the next national conference will be held in Kerala. Yet he mobilised the entire Govt Departments for an international conference a second time, this year too, being held on 9th to 11th December at Trivandrum. Yet he is spreading the canard that the national conference is being held to hurt the international conference being organised by him.

International Centre For Foss is being established.

Why all International ?

To cover up the inability of all the concerned.

The talk in the corridoor of secretariat is that this is meant for opening an avenue for Sri. Aruns’ appointment as IT advisor to the Govt of one of the participating country in the international conference.

Any way, Govt and the people are the sufferers.

Gopi added these pithy words on Nov 22 08 at 12:16 pm

i think we want to start fight against .

removing these also ??

http://www.fsf.org/donate/patron/logos/L_Novell_R.png/view
http://www.fsf.org/donate/patron/logos/

then also boycott novell will have meaning ?

Magic added these pithy words on Nov 22 08 at 5:15 pm

I see an attempt to single out attack me. I dont want to get into mudslinging. Just some clarifications,

1. FSF India’s decisions are not my personal decisions.
2. I am not a super human to convert entire state to free software.
3. I dont not have any control over KSITM or IT Department to ensure that it is migrated to free software. I can only suggest.
4. I was not the only person who showed solidarity with issues raised, Mr Amarnath Raja (IEEE), Mr K S Anil Kumar (Head E-Governance KSITM), Dr Sasikumar (FSF India), Mr Renjith(Barton Hill Engg College), Mr Pramode CE (Free software hacker), Mr Senthil (FSUG Banglore) and many others.
5. Senthil offered to put boycott novell posters in their stall, however organisers objected to that.
6. Most of the FSF India board members participated in this conference as speaker or even as active organiser. We are the first few names in the speaker list.
7. How did I try to obstruct this conference ? Please substantiate your allegations.
8. I am not aware of any deceleration in Hydrabad which said next convention will be held in Kerala. Even if I know that how does it matter ?
I found a copy of deceleration here:
http://ellisys.blogspot.com/2007/02/national-convention-on-free-software.html
9. Free software is a truly international movement

Arun M added these pithy words on Nov 23 08 at 11:02 am

I am appalled at the deliberate attempt by Sri Joseph Thomas to mislead the public. He states that the conference in Hyderabad was not organised by FSF India when the website of Swecha in its page on the conference had put FSF India’s name first among the list of organisers. The names of Swecha and University of Hyderabad came only later. Sri Joseph Thomas should verify the facts before writing them in public spaces.

V. Sasi Kumar added these pithy words on Nov 23 08 at 10:26 pm

I was wondering who this Joseph Thomas is! I felt something personal in his vengeance and his argument favouring freedom of novell! I even could feel the hypocrisy in his regret for the manhandling of anivar. This post a little bit reveals him.
I always wonder at the hypocrisy and smart twisted minds of majority of Keralites.
Joseph seems to me one such shrewd mallu!
Please talk business if you want to talk it.— But not at the cost of freedom, and philosophy of freedom. Why this mask joseph. You are repulsive. Keep your venom private.

Madhu added these pithy words on Nov 23 08 at 10:58 pm

Google Inc confirms that a majority in the world have preferred our version of the developments of “Kochi Conference” or “National Conference of Free Software Kochi” - for the searching public. Thanks to our activists behind this work.

Next time if these people come with a similar mission, we will reverse-hijack “Marx” from them - that would signal its intellectual death. The emerging world prefers common sense - not silly, stupid or absurd arguments.

CK Raju added these pithy words on Nov 24 08 at 9:00 am

Mr. Joseph Thomas,
This will be my last post here. I understand that the venue of Free Software is used by a few for personal feud. Your concern for Novell’s freedom is misplaced. What novell did is a sabotage. What the cusat people did is stupid. It seems you were cashing out of this incident by joining with the ignorant cusat people, who by now could have understood their grievous mistake. Novell is not arguing against their mis-treatment, CUSAT people are silent. Then why you are so much vocal for Novell? It appears CPM also is not supporting the Novell mess.I do not think such a sponsoring will be preferred in Kerala in future. As far as such a realization happening, the protest my Aniver and his friends really brought some fruitful awareness.
I have not seen any serious allegation by you against aniver by you as it appears something to do with your attitude towards them seen together.
Your target seems to be Mr.Arun. I do not know both of you. But I regret your personal feud pushed you to such an extent to extend your olive branch to the enemy of your hate character. Enemy of your enemy temporarily became your friend.
But, your presentation of your attitude was deceptive. You were talking about the freedom of novell. I do not think that was your real concern. Even if it were microsoft your attitude would have been the same- as you see only your enemy. That makes you myopic.
I do not know Arun. Neither I support him. But you were inviting comments by your provocative stand- which was insincere. Further, this should not have been selected as your place to fight your personal enemy what ever could have been the injustice committed against you. I desire he does not answer here. Such an answering and your counter accusations would make free software movement a laughing stock. That is very bad. Free Software Movement is not something to do with your personal feuds- especially that has nothing to do with its philosophy.
As you have some other motive your idea of freedom has to be neglected. Yet, for the sake of students who visit this place I would like to comment on the notion of freedom you invoke.
“Freedom” is not a private property. There is no your freedom and my freedom. Freedom is not a thing possessed. Freedom is a common field. It is an ecology. It is openness. It is resistance to dominance. It is being authentically human.
I have written about freedom here in detail: http://www.scribd.com/doc/6332438/Madhusuicide-as-Unfreedom-and-Vice-Versa
There is no such thing as Novell’s freedom! There is no such thing as Aniver’s freedom! All that matters is whether there is freedom, openness, resistance and authenticity! Freedom can be violated. Microsoft violates freedom. Novell violates freedom. That is it. There is no novell’s freedom.
It is absurd to say freedom is all about views and counter views and the patient listening of such views ….
Freedom is freedom beyond what-so-ever our views are!
In a world of unfreedom, only unfreedom will be peacefully continuing.
Now genetic codes and lives are owned by corporates. Do you think it is their freedom to own them? Do you think they can be peacefully questioned? Che was fighting. Was he peacefully working for smooth conduct? what is that smoothly conducted? If it is unfreedom it has to be questioned. No body should be free to impose unfreedom. When somebody imposes unfreedom that process should not be let to be conducted smoothly. Mostly unfreedom is imposed in the most smooth way. That smoothness is deceptive. Glib talks and lovely imposition of unfreedom is called imposing unfreedom using bio-power. Bio-power operates through glib-talks attractive advertisements, sponsoring, social work, Aids prevention etc. Look at coco cola. Their campaign for clean water for poor is such a bio-power. democratic etiquettes will hardly helpful to take on them. These etiquites are our state of subjugation. That is the violence on our authenticity. That is silencing our critical capability. That is the unfreedom penetrated to the core of our bone marrows.
The respect to CM or PM and who so ever has no meaning. Are you convent educated?
The job one holds, its norms… etc. are bullshit.
They do not appeal. They are not related to the idea of freedom as you portray them as if they were the test stones! They are something different.
What is your problem with aniver’s protest? If Arun has something to do with you in some other deal that is entirely different story. Bringing them here is meaning less. There is something hidden in your attitude towards aniver. I do not want to know that. But your opposition does not seem as plain as towards aniver not following norms of freedom! What you hide is not that much hidden.

Why do you instruct what arun should do or not do? Who are you to do that? If he does something inappropriate his higher officials would manage him. What is your problem?

CUSAT is not God! (Even God should not be beyond criticism!) Cusat is not beyond criticism. One has to be critical of the institutions- especially public institutions. They use public money. They have to be centers of excellence. When they are not they should be criticized. I do not think your love for CUSAT lets you to write as it is your malaise against your personal enemies.

I do not know you. I do not know Arun. My aim is not abusing you. I feel bad about your personal vengeance hijacking the purpose of a good movement. Why should myself or others abuse you? All that I am worried is that your personal vengeance aids unfreedom!

Bye
Dr.P.Madhu

Madhu added these pithy words on Nov 24 08 at 7:53 pm

My point is very plain.

1. I am not arguing for NOVELL’s freedom.

2. I am arguing for the freedom of the organisers and the responsibility on the part of the organisers to protect the contract with NOVELL while accepting the sponsorship.

3. I am pointing out the anti-democratic attitude crept in the actions of Anivar, may be due to the over enthusiasm. But for the untoward incident happened inside the exhibition hall and pasting of “BOYCOTT NOVEL” posters on the posters of others, the protest is well within the norms and justified. I too could have argued for Anivar.

4. I have never argued that NOVELL is correct or NOVELL is justified in any of their action. In fact I had no previous occassion to assess NOVELL. From what I could gather now, I too dont support NOVELL. Hereafter, I too wont agree to bring NOVELL as a sponsor.

5. What I am pointing out is a pre-planned attack on the organisers of CUSAT national conference on software freedom triggered by FSFI, supported and taken up by Anivar and friends.

6. Campaign against the naming of the conference as 2nd to Hyderabad, initiated by Sri. M Arun of FSFI, claiming that the Hyderabad conference was organised by FSFI.

7. Anivar took it up and that campaign reached a stage where Anivar was disassociating with the program committee.

8. That was some how averted by the organising committee by not insisting on the name to satisfy the critics. Organising committee thought it fit to avoid a division on such issue as the name, fact remaining what it is.

9. Then came, the question of funds. Even on 14th, the organising committee didnot get firm offer for the required funds. NOVELL’s proposal was brought somewhere around the 1st week of November and couldnot be processed or finalised till 14th. Same was the case with almost all the other sponsors like, CDiT, ITMission etc. Their sponsorships also were put up on the site only on 12th and 13th. CDiT, ITMission etc were not insisting on any conditions like calling Platinum or Gold. Here the proposal itself was like Platinum sponsor etc. Out of compulsion on 14th evening, the organisers agreed to the sponsorship of NOVELL and the stage backdrop was prepared accordingly and NOVELL’s representative was included in the inaugural session. This is the reason why NOVELL’s sponsorship did not appear in the site. There was no effort on the part of organisers to keep it secret fron any body.

10. The organisers have send proposal to almost all the Free Software Business groups for sponsorships. But none came forward, may be due to the campaign undertaken by FSFI against this conference, I presume.

11. Nobody from FSF thought that this conference would be a success to this extend.

12. Sri. Sasikumar has turned down the invitation as a speaker saying that he got a pre-planned program at Palghat. But he too was seen in the conference, thanks to him.

12. Thanks to Sri. Nagarjun, chairman of FSFI who readily agreed for blessing this event not only by his speach we requested for but also offering a workshop. I am sorry, that we couldnot meet his full expenditure due to shortage of funds. Thanks to him.

13. To me, Sri. Arun was inclined to claim the credit for every free software activity or event in India. He feels that free software activity shall take place only under the FSFI. This seems to be the notion of Anivar and group also with the addition of SMC to the FSFI.

14. We in Kochi, OSS ICS LTD & ATPS, have never been a part of FSFI. Some of us were co-operating with the SMC initiatives for Malayalam localisation.

15. Sri. Arun M, himself created hurdles for releasing the funds from IT Mission, which is quite unbecoming of a public servant who has to be impartial.

14. The free software promotional activities of Kerala State IT Mission during the past have been limited to promoting SPACE and on its counselling planning and holding International Events and international institutions at Trivandrum, while what is needed to be addressed was local empowerment.

15. Sri Arun on behalf of FSFI and Sri. Anivar has been engaging themselves in a crusade against CPI(M). Sri. Arun was not so open as Anivar. This is revealed in the case of the campaign against :

The chennai conference organised by those in chennai, may be supporters of CPI(M).

This is the reason why I asked Sri. Arun reply to my questions on his activities. I hope I am justified in asking these questions here since Sri. Arun responded here in this site.

If you are not tolerant, I too stop my comments on this site

Gd bi.

Joseph Thomas added these pithy words on Nov 25 08 at 9:40 am

The issue of software freedom or freedom of knowledge is only one of the very many contradictions and conflicts that exist in a capitalist society. The root cause of this conflict is the capitalist system as such as IPR can be seen as only another form of private ownership in a world where digital commodities are produced and sold (This premise can be debated if needed). Having said so what is now required on the part of the Free Software Movement is the extending out to all forms of struggles in the society. For this it has to reach out to various sections of the society and not get confined to free software enthusiasts alone. The major contribution of the National Conference 2008 was that it could reach out to various sections of the society with the theme of free knowledge and free software. The organisers can come out with details of the participation from various cross sections of the society if possible on the website. FSF is now seeing things in a narrow perpective and hence its activists are getting over excited about trivial happenings like Novell putting up a stall in the exhibition. I fear that the agenda and activity domain of FSF has become so narrow that the actions by the activists are taking the form of intolerance as well. Also just look at the statement of RMS saying that Anvar is the first person in the world to be mishandled for having undertaken a free software cause. RMS may be communicated that the person who posts this has been mishandled by students way back in 1998 when he was undertaking a project study in favour of free software. This was before the FSFI chapter started operation in India. Thre is a report submitted to Ernakulam District Administration that FS should be the technology in e-governance for panchayath computerisation. This oversight too is because of the narrow mindedness in agenda and programme.
Free software movement can become a peoples movement only if it integrates itself with movements (even those movements which are taking place in the corporate world and hence I feel Novell or any such corporate also has a role to play).
FSF may please understand that the free software movement is not about yourself. It is a broader peoples movement (started in India even before FSFI chapter was inaugurated)
FSF may please understand that if it does not extend out to other movements and conferences of similar kind and creatively take part in these with perseverance and tolerance, it will be confined to history in quick time (at least in India) however big the personalities involved are.

Das added these pithy words on Nov 25 08 at 5:33 pm

Watching this video would prevent us from reinventing the wheel during the proposed debate:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6390784544771380326&ei=Zu8sSeTQH6Ky2gLwo4HEAw&q=richard+stallman

Madhu added these pithy words on Nov 26 08 at 12:12 pm

This may be useful!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-635735684063417950&ei=C3I-SY7GNoe0wgP93IR2&q=negri

Madhu added these pithy words on Dec 09 08 at 7:00 pm