Condolences to the community. I let the Signpost folks know, and there will be a writeup on this coming shortly.
-Andrew On Thu, Mar 5, 2015 at 11:05 AM, Pine W <[email protected]> wrote: > Viswa, > > Thank you so much for letting us know of this editor's inspiring story. We > are sorry to lose such an exemplary Wikimedian. I hope in his passing he > had the satisfaction of feeling that in his late years he made the world a > better place. > > Please contact me off-list if you would like this email to appear in the > Signpost. > > Condolances to his family and the Malayalam Wikimedia community. > > Pine > On Mar 5, 2015 7:08 AM, "ViswaPrabha (വിശ്വപ്രഭ)" <[email protected]> > wrote: > > > Dear Wikimedians all over the world, > > > > One of our stalwarts at ml Wikimedia community, Wikiuser:BabuG > > <https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Babug> ( > > https://ml.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Babug) expired yesterday night. > > > > Despite having paralyzed due to a severe stroke and severely affected by > > several subsequent health problems, he was guided to Wikipedia by his > son, > > Dr. Ajay, another prominent Malayalam Wikipedian, as a possible remedy to > > escape perpetual loneliness. > > > > His real world name was G. Balachandran.He was born on 14th October 1938 > in > > a small village off North Parur, Ernakulam District, Kerala, the > > Southernmost state of India.He joined the Armed Forces Engineering > College > > and then continued to serve the Indian Armed forces for long many years. > > > > He started contributing to Wikimedia, particularly to Malayalam > Wikipedia, > > in the year 2008. > > > > His initial contributions to Malayalam Wikipedia were based upon a > > pulp-converted digital Encyclopedia, released by the Government through > > GFDL licence then. He continued to create even more full-featured > articles > > on his own, later. By 2014 October 18 - the day he edited last in > > Wikipedia- he had 1935 full-blown articles initiated and expanded by > > himself in ml.wikipedia.org. Besides, he also contributed more than 350 > > images to Wikimedia commons and a handsome amount of contributions to > > Wikisource, Wikidata and Wiktionary. > > > > He always attributed his renewed energy and life's aspirations to the > > Wikimedia mission, for having returned to a meaningful life after a > 20-year > > long and frustrating solitude while constrained to an immobile chair. > Ever > > since 2008, he stood up and started walking and moving around. His was an > > extreme example for us in Malayalam WP to showcase how Wikipedia can > change > > lives. > > > > In almost all our Wikipedia Outreach sessions, we utilized this great > > example to motivate and excite the newcomers to WP. > > > > Tory Read mentioned about BabuG thus, in a document > > <http://cis-india.org/internet-governance/india-chronicles.pdf>, a > review > > on the state of Indian Wikimedia Communities, in 2011: > > > > G. Balachandran, a septuagenarian who lives outside of Ernakulum in > Kerala > > > state, said that working on Malayalam Wikipedia helped him recover > after > > a > > > stroke left him paralyzed. “He’s much sharper now,” said his wife > > Jagadamma > > > K. “He’s made a lot of new friends, and that’s been good for his > health.” > > > > > > For us in Malayalam Wikipedia, today is a black day, for having lost a > > great beacon on our voyage to ultimate openness and freedom in knowledge > > and wisdom. > > > > > > Yet, we feel, BabuG has made his life stamped immortal for ever and has > > shown us the pathway we should follow in continuing our humble > > contributions to the ultimate cause of mankind. > > > > > > -ViswaPrabha > > (On behalf of Malayalam Wikimedia Community) > > http://ml.wikipedia.org > > _______________________________________________ > > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > > [email protected] > > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ > Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: > https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines > [email protected] > Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, > <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe> > _______________________________________________ Wikimedia-l mailing list, guidelines at: https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Mailing_lists/Guidelines [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikimedia-l, <mailto:[email protected]?subject=unsubscribe>
