As some of you probably know, I had been invited to speak at the GNUnify event in Pune in February, and I really looked forward to it.

Well, today I have been uninvited because of my use of the term “Open Source”. While this will naturally provoke great cheers from some quarters, I see this is a symptom of things getting really rotten.

Ironically, I was shown the door by people who had *no* problems attending (and even *speaking* at) Linux Bangalore/2001, Linux Bangalore/2002 (both billed as Linux and OpenSource events), the Workshop on Free and Open Software in Trivandrum, the Government’s meeting on Linux and Open Source Policy, etc.

Ah well, I guess some people just don’t really feel complete unless they have something (or someone) they can hate, or a community they can divide. It appears that the term “Free” has a lot less liberal meaning when it comes to “Free Software” for some people.

My sympathies lie with the poor student organisers of the event who got caught in the crossfire.

For a blow by blow account of the “uninvitation process”, click here.