VS Achuthanandan's vision powered Kerala's free and open software revolution
VS came into contact with the proponents of free software during his time as LDF convener, when E K Nayanar was the chief minister, from 1996 to 2001. Krishnadas Menon, a former SFI leader with Thrissur Engineering College and an active member of the People's Planning Campaign (PPC), revealed that the initiative to network local bodies in Kerala sparked the idea of using free software as a political tool.
According to Das, it was the late Joseph Thomas, a BSNL staff member and union leader of the National Federation of P&T Employees (NFPTE), who approached VS with concerns about using proprietary software. Thomas warned that it would compromise the decentralised campaign's underlying politics, lead to royalty issues, and burden the government.
'VS trusted Thomas, whom he had known for years through NFPTE. The communist ideology resonated with the politics behind supporting the free software movement and VS asked us to brief the party secretariat. He associated himself with it ever since,' Das pointed out.
Meanwhile, Kerala's free software movement gained momentum from around 1996, with various groups organising meetings and conferences on the topic. A pivotal event was the 'Freedom First!' conference held in Thiruvananthapuram in July 2001, where Richard Stallman, founder of the GNU Project, inaugurated the Free Software Foundation of India (FSF India).
Joseph C Mathew, former IT advisor to the chief minister during Achuthanandan's tenure, said, 'Free software was chosen due to its politics. We approached many political leaders in the state, but it was VS who took interest and championed it. As a result, free software was incorporated into the general education curriculum. And it has now become an integral part of our governance. VS' support gave free software visibility at the national level too.'
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