Kerala government has officially decided to embrace Linux.
Redhat to assist Kerala Government.

Red Hat Inc. is to help the communist government of Kerala, in southwestern India, to deploy open-source software in its e-governance and literacy efforts.

The Kerala government will make all efforts to develop free software, and will use free and open-source software in e-governance projects, according to a draft state IT policy released in January.

The Indian federal government, in contrast, has refrained from taking sides in favor of either open-source or proprietary software. Microsoft Corp., for example, is running a program in the country, called Project Shiksha, to train teachers and students in government-run schools in the use of information technology. But some research labs run by the government work on open source projects.

If and when UDF takes over after the term of this government(Malayalees would like to get exploited equally by both sides – equal opportunity) would they kick out linux and have microsoft back in?

Mammootty was one of the speakers and star attraction at DYFI meet held at Chennai.

The actor feels that youth power is like atomic energy, it can be used to generate power. He said the bane of our present Indian society is “communalism, casteism, regionalism”. The youth should find solution to all these. [Mammootty at DYFI meet]

Mr.Mammootty forgot to mention one more ailment in our society – destruction of public property. But then that is something which is DYFI’s speciality.

Thiruvananthapuram: The Left Democratic Front (LDF) in Kerala said its government would oppose the entry of multinational and domestic retail giants into the state.

”The LDF is against the Centre’s policy which allows these giants in the retail sector. The LDF government will oppose its entry as it poses a threat to small retailers,” LDF Convenor Vaikom Viswan told reporters here today after the meeting.

The Center is run with support from the Communists and so blaming the Center for all problems looks so moronic now. Why should people be held hostage to the tantrums of this mafia called Kerala Vyapari Vyavasai Ekopana Samiti? Retail giants can bring down the price of goods which will help the poor, but then the whole idea of Communism is not to help the poor, but to get rich at their expense.

Kerala government eagerly awaiting for the central government’s clearence on Kannur airport, but how about fixing the problems in existing airports?

The Kerala government is awaiting Centre’s in-principle clearance for the proposed Rs 1,000-crore Kannur airport in north Kerala, which is expected to boost tourist inflows to the Malabar region.

“We are awaiting the clearance from the government of India,” Tourism secretary and Special officer of the Kannur Airport project, V Venu told reporters.

Kerala already has three airports in Thiruvananthapuram, Nedumabassery and Karipur.

Emirates leader urges citizens to reduce number of foreign workers

17 Apr 2007 Dubai : Dubai leader Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum urged the country’s citizens to stop relying on government handouts and reduce number of foreign workers, who he said threaten national security.

Sheik Mohammed said he wanted to reduce foreign labor and influences in a country where some 85 percent of the country’s 5 million population is foreign, while moving citizens into the private sector’s top posts.

He called for an immediate end to foreign labor in “marginal economic activities” and described the 300,000 illegal laborers in the country as a national security threat.

At the same time, he chastised Emirati families for hiring too many maids and domestic servants — which form 10 percent of the labor force.

“The number of domestic helpers in some families exceeds the size of the family itself,” he said. “Most families maintain a number of domestic help which is beyond their actual need.”

NRI deposits in banks on a high

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala: NRI deposits in Kerala banks touched a new high of Rs.329 billion on Dec 31, 2006.

NRI deposits in 3,539 branches of various banks grew from Rs.288 billion in December 2005 to Rs.329 billion, constituting 38.42 percent of all deposits in the state’s banks, said figures released at a bankers’ committee meet here today.

Kerala has a record two million Keralites working abroad, of which close to 85 percent are in the Middle East.

Here comes the next one. This time one RSS activist was found dead in Mavelikkara. Immediately the culprits were guessed and a hartal was called.

Now instead of announcing hartals every day it would be nice, if they announce when there is no hartal.

Sukumar Azhikode moved to a new house to save his books from termites.

Kerala Tips has a challenge for you

1. Go to any sales tax office and show me one honest employee. I will pay you Rs.10000 if you can point out one!

2. Go to any checkpost in Kerala and show me one honest employee. I will pay you Rs.1000000 if you can point out one! (I recently visited Amaravila checkpost in Trivandrum. You can hear all the Malayalam obscene words in 10 minutes.)

3. Show me one honest employee who works as an RTO. I will pay you Rs.50000.

4. Show me one police constable who refuses bribe when you offer him something. I will pay you Rs.5000.

The driving principle in Kerala is this: If you are unhappy, then everyone else should also be unhappy.

Today’s unhappy people are ornament makers who constitute 0.0001% of the population. I don’t know why they are unhappy, but whatever be the reason they thought it is their right to destroy some public property and make life inconvenient to others. They stoned shops and buses and due to this bus service to various places were stopped.

What happened to this thing called Government which is supposed to let us earn a living?