If any ILUG-BOM members are interested , they may join a meeting on Saturday at IIT where some are meeting. This is in response to an appeal made in ArthVrittant article on Stallman, by Anil Shaligram on 18 March issue of Loksatta.

Some of the ideas that came up while thinking about Marathi Linux

There are 3 levels of work in Marathi-isation 1> Applications like office software: Free softwares like a>StarOffice , which are quite a good substitute for MS-Office and available in Linux : b> GIS softwares like GRASS or MYWorld useful for urgent problms like water and environment c> educational softwares Like LOGO, STARLOGO, Model-It, Worldwatcher, DrGenius

We need to translate the labels and messages and documentations and tutorials, multi-lingual CDs with multimedia. 2>Creating application in Marathi: Using gtk, glade emacs etc. 3> Working at the OS level : Creating labels/message table in marathi. NCST has already done a large part for Hindi, some in Marathi too.

We also need to create mass awereness thru newspaper article in all the press. We should ask our local cybercafe to have marathi software loaded. AKRUTI have agrred to support anyone helping. Similarly other Marathi and Indian language developers can be asked to make offers. This would make the idea of working in Indian language a day-to-day affair without too much cost.

jitendra For details contact jitendras@vsnl.com