The Background

December 20th, 2009, Chennai:

I was invited to the EMS Janmasatabdi celebrations organized by Madras Kerala Samaajam, Chennai by my friend Sunil Krishnan [He have already published a report on the event using some of my photos in his Malayalam blog] together with my friend Saswat. Eminent media personalities like N Madhavankutty, Sasikumar, K. A. Johny  and Communist leaders like W. R. Varadarajan [who was the then Chief editor of Theekkathir], Hon. minister for Education of Kerala, Comrade. M. A. Baby, Comrade. E.M. Radha attended the function. Though I didn’t get any “good photos” that day, I was happy that I was able to talk to a few of them personally. After I returned from the meeting, I processed all the photos and uploaded some to my Flickr account and contributed some of them to wikipedia articles. As I publish/share my photographs via a Creative Commons by-sa license [even this blog is licensed by the same license], anyone can use my photographs without my prior permission but conforming to the conditions as stated in the license.

Recent Developments

February 19th, 2010:

The CPI(M) central committee (former) member and (former) state secretary of CPI(M) of Tamilnadu, Comrade. W. R. Varadarajan went missing on February 11th 2010 and police is still searching for him.

The Problem

I was very much excited to see one of my work being used by a mainstream media. That excitement was short lived and gave way to an uneasy feeling. I wasn’t given the credit for my work. The copyright violation was first noticed in Mathrubhumi, then in Manorama. Later I found them in few other websites too. Here I have a list of them, and the link to the stolen content.

1. മാതൃഭൂമി
2. മലയാള മനോരമ
3. Our-Kerala
4. Asian Tribune
5. Dinakaran
6. Daily Thanthi
7. Thatstamil [they have removed it now]

The Evidences

I have taken the screenshots of Google news page as well as the content page, as soon as I noticed the content theft and are presented over here. Click the image to see a bigger version.

1. മാതൃഭൂമി
   • Google News

   

   • Site

   

2. മലയാള മനോരമ
   • Google News

   

   • Site

   

3. Our-Kerala
   • Site

   

4. Asian Tribune
   • Site

   

5. Dinakaran
   • Google News

   

   • Site

   

6. Daily Thanthi
   • Google News

   

   • Site

   

7. Thatstamil [they have removed it now and too lazy to upload the screenshot]

The Actions

I have mailed the respective editors/content managers about the matter and waiting for their reply/action. So far, only Thatstamil have responded positively by removing the said image.

Post Script

The photograph is the first result of the Google image search for the query “W R Varadarajan”, which made its way to the news portals. The content managers ignored the copyright warning by the Google as well as the notice on my flickr album.

When will the conventional media starts respecting the copyright and creative commons licenses? If I am right this is not the first incident of this kind.

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Assume you have ‘x’ energy, and required-energy-to-do-a-job is y_i (i=1,2,3,4,…) and experience reward per job is z_i (i=1,2,3,4..). The most preferred job will be the one which gives maximum value for ((x-(x%y_i))/y_i)*z_i; thermodynamically speaking this quantity is the exergy of the system – the maximum experience (work output) you can score by doing a job with the given energy.

I have made a bookmarklet for Firefox to compute the exergy here. Add the bookmarklet to your toolbar and click it on mafia wars job pages. The max. experience you can achieve from the available energy will be given under the jobs, which is the “most preferred job to do” at that time. This ain’t my original code, but adopted and edited from Spockholm mafia wars tools, and they own all the credits (except for the bugs and damages – no one including me owns or will be held responsible it). I would’ve released this code via a GPLv3 if I had coded it completely.

Foot Notes

x/y – division. For eg. 28/5=5.6, 25/5 =5.
x%y – modulus (remainder after division). For eg. 28%5 = 3, 25%5=0.
(x/y)*z won’t always give you the maximum experience. Only when the quantity (x/y) is a whole number – Mafia Wars doesn’t allow you to do 1.5 or 3.6 jobs, but 1 job or 3 job. So, (x-(x%y))/y times you can do a job when you have x amount of energy, and multiply it with experience rewards for that job to get the maximum experience you can gain.

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The Pink Chaddi Campaign

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They didn’t allow cameras inside OAT (except their close one’s)
They sold the rights to media.
Jay couldn’t take his one too.
I took this one in my Nokia 6233.
Fcuk with copyrights!

I have the right, coz I study here.
It is my festival too,
before it became theirs (one with “photo-rights“)
Welcome to Saarang 2009!

Shobhana, performing at Saarang 2009.

This photo is released in public domain.

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I am not explaining the way to download youtube videos.

1. Install ffmpeg package if not installed yet. Fire up a terminal and issue this command to install ffmpeg

sudo apt-get install ffmpeg

2. Steer to the folder where you have downloaded the youtube video (the .flv file) and issue the following command (match the command parameter colors with output chara)

ffmpeg -title Some_Title -i Input_video_file_name.flv -acodec vorbis -ac 2 -ab 512000 -vn -y output_audio.ogg
==> This will give a 2-channel ogg-vorbis file with 512 kBps bitrate (most recommended)

ffmpeg -title Some_Title -i Input_video_file_name.flv -acodec libmp3lame -ac 2 -ab 512000 -vn -y output_audio.mp3
==> This will give a 2-channel MP3 file with 512 kBps bitrate (least recommended)

I personally prefer OGG over MP3. Quality-to-size ratio is pretty high for OGG-VORBIS as compared to MP3. Try it out yourself.

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So pathetic that we Indians now have a bunch of prejudiced idiots in the editing desks. Instead of reporting the facts, these media are ONLY interested in sensationalizing news there by increasing their reader/viewer-ship ratings. In my last post I have posted how Kerala CM, V S Achuthananthan‘s comments were misinterpreted consciously to create a controversy by TimesNOW. I believe these pro-right bourgeoisie media are ONLY very keen and ‘sincere’ to create unnecessary controversies when a communist leader is involved. Here, I have compiled a few instances (though not limited to) related to Mumbai terror attacks, which our Indian media were reluctant to comment or ‘sensationalize‘.

1. During the 26/11 attacks, our first citizen, Pratibha Patil was on tour to Bali and had returned to India only by 1st of December. No media were enthusiastic enough in reporting the absence of ‘rashtrapathi’ – lord of the realm, when her country was under terror attacks.
2. If you go behind the real reason of attacks, which in turn lead to martyr of Major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan, your search will end in front of 7 Race Course Road who should be held responsible, as the head of government, and also his defense minister, for the unforgivable failure of Indian intelligence system in the Mumbai terror attacks. When did the Hon. defence minister, A K Antony called up the slain major’s family? It didn’t hit the headlines when the defense minister was late to call up and console his soldier’s family and also when, Mr. Unnikrishnan. father of slain Major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan refused to talk to him.
3. It also didn’t become a headline when the yuvraj, Shri. Rahul Gandhi was busy partying midnight during the Mumbai terror attacks till 5 AM in the morning. Also have a look at how Congress party defended the yuvraj’s booze-party. Don’t tell me that you didn’t know about this incident – you didn’t, because most of our media is right-biased to core.
4. Back to Kerala, when the opposition parties lead by India National Congress (I), was alleging of the delay – well there wasn’t any delay anyway. The Kerala chief minister had called up the Political secretary the moment he came to know about the incident, to visit the Major’s house. He had also called up Major’s house, expressed his condolences and assured that he will visit their house at Banglore, the very next day. The million dollar (or rupee) question is how many of Kerala opposition leaders visited the Major’s house till now? The answer is ZERO.
5. There was a protest lead by Yuva Morcha (Malayalam news – It seems no non-Malayalam media had reported it.) at Thiruvananthapuram against the Kerala CM’s remarks alleging that it insulted Major Sandeep’s family. It is quite clear that (in my last post I have translated Kerala CM’s comments), there was nothing in Kerala CM’s comments, explicitly or implicitly, abusive or defaming the Major or his family. Now, in that protest, they hung the picture of Kerala CM to a dog and walked with it. Ironically, these are the people who are proud about their “great Indian culture“, but here they forgot respecting Kerala CM, not his position, but his age – he might be older than most of their grandparents!

It was unfortunate to see the angry youth abusing, hate-mailing/scrapping the Kerala CM for absolutely no mistake from his side, blinded by the misinterpreted reports from the right-biased media and even when I am writing this post, the opposition parties are still protesting against the CM even after both the parties have unconditionally apologized each other and requested to end the controversy. I am wondering when the media and the so-called “patriotic youth” [whose blood boils only when they see an Indo-Pak match or when they see a war movie. They are too lazy to do something for their country but are very keen to get outside India for a job. They firmly believe that they hold the "monopoly of patriotism" . For obvious reasons I call these misguided pseudo-patriotic youth as the "curse of India"] will start protesting for a reduction in Crude oil prices which is the need of the hour. It was increased when the crude oil prices hit above 140$ mark for a barrel, and as of now it is some 45$ for a barrel. The reduced petroleum product price may help in controlling the commodity prices which will be useful for India as a whole. Manmohan Singh government is very reluctant in reducing the Diesel/Petrol prices, which they say, will affect the profit of Petroleum companies. I would like to see a decrease in at least the Diesel prices, which will directly influence (because of the reduction in freight charges) the essential commodity prices.

Suggested reading: On V.S.Achuthananthan and his remarks by clash.

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[youtube=http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=14rTDOVr8i0]

The chief minister, V S Achuthananthan starts speaking from the 27-28th second of the video. There are at two places the video is broken (cut). Even the question asked to him is NOT shown [UPDATE0: Imagine how a person will answer to a question like this - "Haven't Sandeep's father told you before that not even a dog should enter my house. Why did you go then?"]. In this attempt I am explaining a word-to-word translation and explanation of CM’s statements.

He Starts….[0:28 to 0:43]

കര്‍ണ്ണാടകത്തിലെ chief minister-ഉം പരിവാരങ്ങളും വരുന്നതിന്റെ കൂടെ … അല്ലെങ്കില്‍ അതിനു മുമ്പോ, കേരളത്തിലെ മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിയും മറ്റും കൂടെ വന്നില്ല…. ഒരാളും തിരിഞ്ഞു നോക്കിയില്ല…. അതില്‍ വികാരവിക്ഷോഭിതനായി എന്ന്….
<CUT>

The word-to-word translation,

Along with the Karnataka chief minister and his team…. or even before, the Kerala chief minister didn’t come… everyone from Kerala turned their back…. and he got over it…

The meaning,

Sandeep’s father got emotional over the fact that Kerala Chief minister or his representative couldn’t attend the funeral with or even before the Karnataka chief minister.

Kerala CM resumes speaking after the <CUT> [0:44-0:48]

കര്‍ണ്ണാടകത്തിലെ മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിയും കേരളത്തിലെ മുഖ്യമന്ത്രിയും നമ്മുക്കൊരുമിച്ച് പോകാമെന്ന് ഇവിടെ അറിയിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടോ?
<CUT>

The meaning,

Did the Karnatka CM had messaged anything to visit the home together?

The controversial part of the footage comes after the next <CUT> [0:49-end]

സന്ദീപിന്റെ വീടല്ലനെങ്കില്‍ ഒരു പട്ടി തിരിഞ്ഞുനോക്കുമോ അവിടെ?സന്ദീപിന്റെ കുടുംബം, സന്ദീപിന്റെ പിതാവ്, സന്ദീപിന്റെ മാതാവ്, സന്ദീപിന്റെ കുടുംബാംഗങ്ങള്‍ എന്നിവരോടുള്ള ഞങ്ങളുടെ attachment…. ഒരു പ്രത്യേകമല്ലേ അത്? അതു മനസ്സിലാക്കുവാന്‍ ഉണ്ണികൃഷ്ണനെപ്പോലിള്ള ഒരു soldier-ന്റെ പിതാവിന് കഴിയേണ്ടതല്ലേ?

Word-to-word translation,

Had it not been Sandeep’s house, not even a dog would have glanced in. Sandeeps family, Sandeeps father, Sandeeps mother, Sandeeps family members, the attachment we have for them… that is very special, right? A soldiers father should have understood those?

Meaning,

Had it not been Sandeep’s house, not even a dog would have glanced in. The attachment we have with Sandeep’s family, Sandeep’s father, Sandeep’s mother, Sandeep’s family members is very special. A soldiers father should have understood those feelings.

Now, please tell me where he (Kerala CM) had insulted Major. Sandeep’s family?. Why ONLY the first sentence in his quote was colored and made in BOLD (in the footage)?

This is where I criticize the media of communist bashing! This is CHEATING! The TimesNOW had cheated ALL OF YOU!

The TimesNOW channel should publish the unedited footage of the interview if they have the minimal ethics/morals a journalist is expected to possess. It is so pity that the media is sensationalizing the issue just to score ahead in viewership by capitalizing the patriotic emotions of people.

I can understand it when non-Malayalam speaking friends criticize the CM, because they can ONLY swallow what TimesNOW says. Let me express by protest against my Malayalee friends who could understand Malayalam very well, consciously and will-fully became a part of this fact-hijacking footage by TimesNOW that too in the name of patriotism. Shame on YOU for capitalizing the fellow country-men’s patriotic emotions for satisfying your anti-communist needs.

FAQ

Q0. Karat had criticized CM’s remarks, CM had apologized and still what you are blabbering?

Their actions are completely political….just to save their face. My actions are completely personal, to expose the TRUTH, to explain MY STAND!… “I fear no DOGS”

Q1. Are you a Communist?

I am NOT a member of any of the main-stream left party and don’t wish to join, as of now, in the near future. But I am a staunch leftist.

Q2. So you blindly support CPI(M) or CPI for all their actions?

Read Q4. in this FAQ. (scroll down)

I wish if you could read Malayalam, so that you can read this beautiful post.

“May be patriotism is the adrenaline rush you get when watching the final overs of a 20-20 match for most of you… that is NOT the same for me and many others!“

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HOT UPDATE3: What (exactly) Kerala CM said?

Day 1
Kerala CM, V S Achuthanandan and Kerala Home minister, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan were paying a visit to the house of Major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan, who got killed in the encounter with militants in Mumbai – the whole India is indebted to him and his family. Unfortunately, Mr. Unnikrishnan, father  of Major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan displayed his anguish to Kerala CM and Home minister when they arrived his home. Personally speaking, this wasn’t the right way to behave to a guest, leave the fact that he is the CM of a state. That too it was infront of the media he had insulted Hon. Kerala CM and Hon. Home minister. Yes! I can understand the condition he was going through. His son died for the whole nation. We all accept that fact. I don’t think our CM will have a different opinion.

There was a bug hue and cry from the media and the opposition parties that Kerala government didn’t respect the Major and his family by completely ignoring them. But the fact is that the political secretary of Kerala CM had attended the funeral of Major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan. Well I think Mr. Achuthanandan should have gone directly.

Day 2
Kerala CM, conducted a press conference back in Thiruvananthapuram, where he says, as per the media, “If it had not been Sandeep’s house, not even a dog would have glanced that way. It’s Sandeep’s family and that’s why we went. A soldier’s father should have had the  sense to understand that“.

UPDATE2:-

Question from media: How do you respond to the remarks by slain major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan’s father (“Get out my house, you dogs“)?

And, the CM responded: “We all love Sandeep Unnikrishnan and that is the reason why we went to his house to meet his family. If it had not been Sundeeps house, no dog would have gone there”

Before you sharpen your knife to slay Kerala CM, think of two things.

1. CM too is a normal human with flesh, blood, nerves and emotions just like you and me – maybe weaker than us.

2. CM, aged 85 was insulted BRUTALLY infront of whole world. I don’t think there will be a second opinion regarding this point.

If Mr. Unnikrishnan’s reaction was ‘natural’ to a senior politician holding the most powerful position of a state in India, then CM’s remarks too were natural. I won’t prefer to go to a house where people greet me with abuses. You can see in the video, Mr. Unnikrishnan shouting “തെണ്ടി നാറികളെ… പോടാ… പോടാ” in such an irreverent and arrogant manner, at the Kerala CM and his team. Now, tell me if it were you, what would have been your reaction to such an uncivilized response publicly. Yes, it can still be justified because of his mental state at that time. But with the same reasons, you can justify the Kerala CM too.

Points I want to convey.

1. CM should have attended the funeral of slain Major at the first hand.

2. Mr. Unnikrishnan should have behaved well to the CM at least in front of public who even titled incidence like “Mr. Unnikrishnan kicks Kerala home minister and CM out of his house” – a real cheap attention-grabbing technique which is least expected from the media. He should have at least respected CM’s age. He came all through Kerala to meet Mr. Unnikrishnan. He should have expressed his distress in private.

3. If Mr. Unnikrishnan’s reactions are justified, with the same logic, we can justify CM’s remarks.

4. I was shocked to see people sending mails/scraps regarding CM’s remarks, turning a blind eye towards the incident which happened one day back. C’mon guys, I can understand that you are anti-communists, but if you can justify the actions of a person and crucify another (because he is a Communist) for the same mistake, that’s double standards – and there is a BaD-word in English to call those persons who shows double-standards, which I really don’t want to call you people. Hence, instead of spreading false news, understand the fact that “all are humans“.

1-2 days later, you can see Kerala CM withdrawing his comments and sorrying for the same after being brutally raped by the mother-fucking petty-bourgeoise media. Poor man!

I do expect flames from different sides. Let me make it clear. I do respect Major. Sandeep Unnikrishnan and other soldiers who were and are still in service for their contributions. I also can understand how bad Mr. Unnikrishnan would have felt when Kerala CM couldn’t attend his son’s funerals. But at the same time I condemn the way he handled the situation and also the way media reported it then and now. His expression of anguish to the CM and home minister publicly infront of media, abusing and insulting them was totally uncalled for. CM too should have restrcicted his emotions infront of stupid media who are eagerly waiting for something.

UPDATE0:- Let me make it much more clearer.. .. I am getting lots of flames…

“I will either condemn both of their immature acts or justify both…. and would NOT selectively criticize them based on my political ideology…” the media is busy celebrating the Communist CM’s brutal and inhuman ac (for being late to respond) … But where was our first citizen – Prathibha Patil ??… Did she came back after her tour?

UPDATE1:- more and more clearer…. (sigh! lot more flames!)

Why the media is projecting ONLY this issue? Where were they when

1) The Thakkares disappeared from the terror scene.
2) The first citizen was touring when India was burning.
3) Defense minister too did the same mistake as Kerala CM.

Why ONLY Kerala CM is crucified in this issue? Is it because he is a Communist?

(Shubha-rathri… I got pissed off by when I saw a mail regarding this issue which sounded “CM disrespected the Major”; I couldn’t see anywhere in the news where CM “disrespcted” the major…now they forget who did this “disrespecting” first… double standards!.. I just hate to see blind-anti-communists.)

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….says Google.

You do evil and Google will point it out in public. (like diluting philosophies, betraying people, compromising ideologies…. cough! cough!)

Praise the Google Lord

.
.

.

.

.

Join the Church of Google

.

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Q0. Why the fuss?

A free software activist and former student at CUSAT, Anivar Aravind was manhandled today (16/11/2008) by the “National free software conference organizers” @ CUSAT with assistance from the states police forces (UPDATE from Anivar: State Police force wasn’t used), for his peaceful protest against the “Novell Sponsorship”. The free software conference is backed by CPI(M), the ruling left party in Kerala.

Read an FIR on the incident here , here and here.

Q1. What is a free software?

According to GNU, “FREE SOFTWARES” are those softwares which gives its user the following freedoms (Read More).

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
• The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
• The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.

Q2. What is the problem with NOVELL?

Novell doesn’t respect the free software philosophy and works against the interest of the community. In short we are against Novell because of the following.

1. Novell helps Microsoft more than it helps GNU/Linux.
2. Novell still insults competing GNU/Linux distributions and Sun’s Openoffice.org. (Read more)
3. Novell & Microsoft’s software patent agreement betrays rest of free software community, including the very people who wrote the Novell’s own system, for Novell’s sole financial profit. (Read more)
4. Novell helps Microsoft’s fight against Ajax, web standards, SVG by supporting Silverlight & implementing its GNU/Linux version. (Read more)
5. Novell supports Microsofts proprietary standard OOXML.
6. Novell is pushing Microsofts patents to GNU/Linux and cheating Free Software Community.
7. Novell is the biggest promoter of MONO in Free Software Development.

Q3. What can I do?

There are both short term and long term goals. Short term goals include protesting the organizers’s act either by forwarding this to your friends or posting about the issue on your blog.

The long term goal includes creating awareness about the “Evil Novell” and boycotting all Novell products. Read about the boycott in this site.

Q4. I heard you were an ardent Communist and now you are talking against CPI(M)?

Yes! what you heard is right and I am still a Communist. That doesn’t mean I will be supporting CPI(M) for all their deeds. This case is a clear hijacking and dilution of Free Software Philosophy.

I would like to see CPI(M) and the left parties supporting and spreading free softwares. But before that they should understand what exactly is a “Free Software” and respect the community.

Related Posts:-

1) ‘Boycott Novell’ boycotted from Free software conference!!! by aswinatgec.

2) Free Software Activist Man-Handled by jainbasil.

3) free software activist man-handled at free software conference ! by Bobinson

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