Brother Shahid, thanks for your comments, but for the record (and for any other Indian Wikipedians who want to get things off their chest like he did) please direct your criticism at me in the future, not the folks who have worked incredibly hard over the last year to fashion the bye-laws you see on Meta.
I've been on the Advisory Board of the Wikimedia Foundation since its inception, towards the end of 2006. Like you, I'm an admirer and supporter of the mission of Wikipedia, and of the work of the Wikimedia Foundation. Over time, and with much subsequent interest from various people within Wikimedia, it became clear that the lack of an Indian chapter was an obstacle. An obstacle for Wikipedians like you; an obstacle that prevented people in India from doing everything they could to help Wikipedia grow. As there were several Wikipedians who wanted to form a chapter but were seemingly unable to, between 2008 and 2009, I contacted anyone who had previously expressed an interest in setting up an Indian chapter. These are people who had interacted here on WikimediaIndia-l, and also on meta, or who had written in to Cary Bass at the Wikimedia Foundation in his capacity as volunteer coordinator. The folks whose names you now see on the Indian chapter bye-laws are those who stepped up from among a vast list to give roughly one year of their time - a couple of hours a day, several hours a week, to make this happen. Was the process perfect? No. But was it a fair process, given the options and constraints? Yes. Is the group of people that drafted the MoA perfectly representative of the Indian Wikipedian community? No. But are they as representative as was possible? Yes. Personally (and everyone who has been associated with the Indian chapter will agree) I don't believe we have enough Wikipedians from North India, or North-East India; I also don't believe we have enough female Indian Wikipedians on board. This is a pity; but this is also an opportunity, as long as it's stated upfront - as I have in several emails to this list before - for both increasing membership to the chapter from specific regions and from women, and for reconstituting the legally required stewards of this process from time to time with appropriately representative members. I appreciate you pointing out the flaws. But I don't appreciate you assuming that no one had considered these flaws before. And I would appreciate you participating in a manner that can correct the imbalances that exist in the ensuing Wikimedia India chapter, now and later. The process, as you will understand, is complicated and there have been several ups and downs. ChapCom (the Chapters Committee) has stringent requirements; Indian tax law is complicated and rigorous to say the least. This process also required money to host people from various different cities in one place for a meeting, to hire an accountant, to get constant legal and tax advice - and the organisation that stepped up to fill this gap is a new and vibrant non-profit called the Centre for Internet and Society (www.cis-india.org). We're now at that lucky stage when our rules comply with everyone concerned. What the rules need, however, is your input. Now, while I appreciate your concern and criticism, can I ask you in turn, why it is so easy to lash out with no restraint and so hard to actually contribute positively? I don't see your input on the India strategy (http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Task_force/India). I can't see your input on meta (http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Talk:Wikimedia_India/MoA). And this is despite numerous messages, announcements and entreaties for contribution. Everything I've written here in this email, I've written before to WikimediaIndia-l, so this is not new, but you don't seem to have been reading your messages. And you must start doing so. There are several thousands of Wikipedians in India who want to help, and not all of them are prolific editors, indeed some of them help in other ways, and we should welcome them all, while realising the invaluable role that editors play in making this thing we love. You are scaring them away - and I am pointing this out because I don't think you want to; you wouldn't be on this list if you didn't want to help make Wikimedia better. I ask that you please join us in this exciting new phase for Wikimedia in India. Like you, I plan to apply for membership of the society as soon as the India chapter commences, and like you - I hope - I plan to submit my ideas on what the India chapter should do. Perhaps we will even meet in person. I'm actually very fond of wining and dining, and it would be my pleasure to show you some hospitality in the Wikimedia way: I promise to buy you a plate of idlis and a glass of water the next time we're in the same city. Best wishes, Achal _______________________________________________ Wikimediaindia-l mailing list Wikimediaindia-l@lists.wikimedia.org https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimediaindia-l