> I dont trust Politicians. Previously Caste and Religion was used as > Election manifesto, and its a pity now that the Opensource community is > being dragged into politics.... Its not politicians, but we IT professionals > who have promoted Open source Applications... Open Source Platform is for > all and not a dependent on political promotion... >

> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- > From: Rahul Rai <rahul4unity(a)gmail.com> > To: linuxers(a)mm.ilug-bom.org.in > Date: Wed, 15 Apr 2009 23:28:50 +0530 > Subject: [ILUG-BOM] BJP's Akward embrace of free software > *The BJP’s awkward embrace of Free Software * > > ** > http://www.hindu.com/2009/04/10/stories/2009041055960900.htm > > Deepa Kurup > > *The party’s discovery of the virtues of OS would appear to sit > uncomfortably with its slogan “Let a hundred Bangalores bloom.” * > > The IT manifesto of the Bharatiya Janata Party has created ripples among > software circles with its support for Free and Open Source Software (FOSS), > and its opposition to “digital standards.” While the Kerala government has > a > policy that makes the use of FOSS in government and education mandatory, > Tamil Nadu has implemented it in a few departments. Left parties have for > long backed the Free Software movement politically. It is surprising that > the BJP, with its strong pro-corporate and pro-patent leanings, should back > this cause. > > Even as the Free Software community is celebrating this latest endorsement, > sceptics among its ranks are cautious about taking the BJP’s promises at > face value. Its track record, when in power at the Centre and in the > States, > provides grounds for these misgivings. > > Consider this. As late as January 2009, the BJP government in Gujarat, led > by Chief Minister Narendra Modi, inked a deal with the global proprietary > software giant Microsoft that includes a Microsoft-developed IT curriculum > for high school students, teacher training, certification programmes, and > offers free Microsoft software development tools to universities. > > Less than two months on, the party manifesto in its “eEducation” section > declares: “We will actively promote Free and Open Source Software, > including > operating systems, which will introduce the habit of innovation > (‘tinkering’) among students.” In fact, in 2006 the BJP government in > Rajasthan signed a similar deal with Microsoft under Project Shiksha, and > in > 2004, the BJP-JD(S) coalition in Karnataka, tied up with proprietary giant > for education and e-governance initiatives. > > Prabir Purkayastha of the Delhi Science Forum feels the manifesto reflects > the “blinkered vision” of the BJP, which has “never taken an anti-monopoly > stance.” Dr. Purkayastha points out how Free Software circles are abuzz > with > an interesting anomaly in L.K. Advani’s speech at the manifesto launch: > “Mr. > Advani referred to how impressed he was on his visit to the Microsoft > Office > in the U.S. He did not see the stark contradiction, as he proudly reflected > on the number of Indians present there!” > > FOSS activists, however, hope this means increased visibility for their > cause, considering a large number of National E-governance Missions are in > the pipeline, for which Rs. 6000 crore has been earmarked in the 11th Five > Year Plan. The 40-page document also promises to set up an “IT > standards-setting body,” carving it out of the Bureau of Indian Standards, > and promises all government software will conform to these “open > standards.” > > > Venkitesh Hariharan, a senior Red Hat official, says: “It is significant > because so far there hasn’t been any conscious effort towards policy > making. > Public data and websites have been in both proprietary and open format.” > Digital standards > > As for their new stance on “digital standards” — that is, proprietary > claims on algorithms and software programmes — the BJP-led National > Democratic Alliance government, notably, was the first to amend the Patent > Act in March 1999 and in June 2002 as part of the WTO agreement under Trade > Related Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). The seemingly innocuous > phrase > “software per se,” which the NDA government introduced into section 3(K) of > the Indian Patents Act, was a loophole through which software could be > brought under a patenting regime from a copyright one. > > According to Dr. Purkayastha, the amendments had nothing to do with TRIPS > which does not even include software or computer programmes in its ambit. > “A > 2004 ordinance provided for patenting of computer programmes used in > combination with hardware. Later, while in the opposition the BJP opposed > the bill — even though it was virtually drafted by their Commerce Minister > Arun Jaitley. It was presented without any changes,” he says. This was > revoked in 2005 by the United Progressive Alliance under pressure from the > Left. > > Corporates such as IT majors Infosys and TCS have long lobbied for patents. > When contacted, a senior spokesperson from Microsoft, a company that will > be > hit hardest by an OS regime, told *The Hindu* that the company is > “encouraged by the focus on IT by political parties,” describing the policy > of the Government of India as one of “technology neutrality.” > > The BJP’s discovery of the virtues of OS would appear to sit uncomfortably > with its slogan “Let a hundred Bangalores bloom.” > Rahul > > > -- > http://mm.glug-bom.org/mailman/listinfo/linuxers >