Free Software Foundation of India

The Free Software Foundation of India, is a sister organisation to the Free Software Foundation. It was founded in Thiruvananthapuram (Trivandrum), the capital of Kerala in 2001, [ [http://noticias.hipatia.info/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1495&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 FSF-I inaugurated in Thiruvananthapuram by Dr. Richard M. Stallman] ] as a non-profit organization. [ [http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8675 The What, Why and When of Free Software in India] ] The FSFI advocates to promote the use and development of free software in India. This includes educating people about free software, including how it can help the economy of a developing country like India. FSF India regards non-free software as not a solution, but a problem to be solved. Free software is sometimes locally called swatantra software in India.

In 2003, after meeting with FSF founder Richard Stallman, the President of India Dr. Abdul Kalam [ [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/01/2054254 Stallman Goes to India] ] [ [http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/01/stories/2004020104231000.htm Kalam, Stallman discuss open source software] ] urged Indian computer scientists and professionals to use free and open source software [ [http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/02/182243 Indian President Advises Open Source Approach] ] in research and development. [ [http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/02/stories/2004070200991300.htm Opt for open source codes for better software security: Kalam] ]

The FSF India Logo

The left side of the FSF India logo resembles the famed Ashoka Chakra, that also appears on the Indian national flag, while it's right half is a depiction of a compact disk. The combination of both symbols is intended to draw attention to the similarity between political freedom and free software, the latter of which the FSF promotes.

The Ashoka Chakra, in addition to being a long standing Hindu symbol of time, also resembles Mahatma Gandhi's "charkha" (spinning wheel) and thus in the current context, may symbolize the Indian independence movement which resulted in India's freedom from British occupation.

tructure

Board of Directors

* Nagarjuna G., Chairman
* Arun M., Secretary
* Anand Babu
* Ramanraj
* V. Sasi Kumar
* Y. Kiran Chandra

Working Group

* Abhas Abhinav
* Baishampayan Ghose
* Frederick Noronha
* Jitendra Shah
* Mahesh T Pai
* Sankarshan Mukhopadhyay
* Sasi PM
* Sayamindu Dasgupta
* Satish Babu
* Sunil Mohan Adapa
* Suraj
* Tathagata Banerjee
* Warren Brian Noronha

Webmasters

* Anivar Aravind
* Baishampayan Ghose
* Sayamindu Dasgupta
* Sunil Mohan Adapa

ee also

*Free Software Foundation
*Richard Stallman
*Abdul Kalam

References

External links

* [http://www.fsf.org.in Free Software Foundation of India]
* [http://www.linuxjournal.com/article/8675 A LinuxJournal interview with FSF-India team members]
* [http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/02/01/2054254 Slashdot] and [http://www.hindu.com/2004/02/01/stories/2004020104231000.htm Hindu] articles (dated 2002) regarding Stallman's visit to India.
* [http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/07/02/182243 Slashdot] and [http://www.hindu.com/2004/07/02/stories/2004070200991300.htm Hindu] articles (dated 2002) regarding Dr. Kalam's endorsement of free software.
* [http://blue-gnu.biz/content/fsf_india_039_s_impact_far_reaching A Blue-GNU interview: FSF India's Impact Far-Reaching]