Why Software Freedom?

This is one question not many of us, who are not involved with the Free Software Movement would be even aware of.

When knowledge becomes a commodity, the society built around such a knowledge market is prone to grow diametrically polarized. This in turn, perilously reflects on the economic status of the involved sections of people. Depriving knowledge from people puts them in a handicapped position, and renders them a life, which is more of a struggle against unequal opportunities for survival. This, on a prolonged period of time, culminates into a society which has nothing but a glaring disparity in the conditions of its population, staring at a bleak future. 

India, is the best example that can be taken into consideration. 

With the Digital revolution at its zenith across globe, and also in India, the knowledge we just spoke about has/is being digitized. Apart from the commoditization of knowledge in its real form, the extra commoditization of its digital form inherently has been more successful, only in a capitalistic point of view.

In a nationalistic. or a humanitarian perspective, all that has come to be of Digital Knowledge is that, it is a costly commodity, like a sports car or a posh flat. 

In India, or any developing country, enabling people by imparting them skills that will help them lead a decent life is what is most required. In today's world, it naturally converges to using technology. But, when the knowledge behind the technology is being used to create a gradient in the society, as it is a commodity in the hands of profit makers, it is imperative that all the knowledge is brought back into the community, and used for the betterment of the community. 

Free Software Movement, has this far succeeded in its attempts of setting this knowledge free, free as in freedom (also in monetary terms, either zero or little cost).  When the society owns the knowledge, it knows what it has to produce for its growth, rather than some monopoly deciding what the society might need. 

Talking on these important lines, Freedom in the Digital world is very much necessary for the society to grow equal, so that we do not allow deep opportunity gradients created everywhere.

Freedom at a user level in terms of privacy and security are also facets of the movement. But, in an Indian context this Freedom makes more sense in the 'gradient lessening' aspect. 

In-dependence !

I sincerely wanted to post something positive for India's 64th Independence Day, but, things all around, for so long, without yielding any respite, compelled me to criticize and bring out some important aspects, which I feel have gone wrong with India and us ( now don't read 'us' as US, they aren't yet us !).

As you would have already noticed, this post, I call it "In-Dependence".

Being honest, let us question ourselves,as to what is the significance of celebrating Independence Day every year?

I don't think it is only commemorative in nature; If it is, it shouldn't be. We need to use every 15th August to gauge the proportion of growth India has undergone all these years, and the degree of India's independence in today's world.
I believe we are more enslaved today, although in a subtle manner, but with heavier helplessness.

In the name of Globalization, we seem to have voluntarily offered opportunities to colonize ourselves, in return for increased dependency.

Dependence between entities, be it, individuals or countries must be symbiotic ( mutually beneficial), and  not parasitic (unidirectionally exploitative). On the same lines, India has been the market for all the major brands of major countries, for ages, and nothing except the IT from here makes it's presence felt in rest of the world. This is what is my, and many other Indians' apprehension. The state of India being in-dependence, and in a unidirectional way.

And, the international image in the contemporary world media of India is all wrong (Poverty? Population? Corruption? Computer geeks? Bollywood?)
I would not worry if it were just an image miraged by the media; The problem is even we seem to have started making such an India, and living in it.

Blaming the Government and policies can go on forever, another important blame game should be with the object in the mirror. Every Indian has a role to play, in which we have failed miserably.

Complacence for the wrong reasons: We seem to have got adjusted with an India which would even in ideal conditions be imperfect . We don't seem to bother much about 'the Individual and the Individual in the Community' interaction anymore.

Irrelevant pride: We are not proud of our culture, linguistics, art, tradition and heritage, or most of our talents. Anything, from the West is treated as something primarily superior than ours. We take pride in showing ourselves down!

Emulation of the other guy: We don't stop at comparing ourselves with others, we emulate them, in a nonsensical way, which is absurd for our conditions.

Impulsive patriotism and inconsistent nationalism: We feel united only in times of calamity, or when we absorb a terror attack. I fail to fathom as to where these traits vanish from us, under normal circumstances.

Independent ? 
No, not at all. We are the manufactured modern slave army, like the Uruk-Hai of Saruman's army in the Lord of The Ring, and we wouldn't know what's happening to us, for we cannot relate to the big bad picture we are in!

Every Independence Day, as I have grown to see India, has made me sadder and sadder.