<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">I am Hussain KH, retired scientist, Library and Information
Division</span>, Kerala Forest Research Institute.</font></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">I was a devotee and  user of CDS/ISIS since 1985. In 2004, together
with Dr. Raman Nair (former librarian of </span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Mahathma</span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Gandhi</span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"> </span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">University</span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">) I designed
MISIS (Malayalam ISIS) and produced a bibliography of 22,000 titles in
Malayalam script. It was a successful experiment, perhaps the single-most
attempt in Indian languages  in the ASCII
era using a special Malayalam font designed for the purpose. The attempt has no
relevance today since Unicode Language Technology has unveiled an entirely new
scope for information systems in local script. In this scenario ABCD has a
great part to play in Indian sub-continent even though KOHA is gaining ground
among libraries.</span></font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">Correspondence with Mr. De Smet Egbert</span> reveals that ABCD
v2.0b in Debian Linux fully supports Unicode but to be configured to individual
languages. He also points out that Devanagari script has been successfully
experimented.</font></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><font size="4"> </font></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="4"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">In this context, I think  users and experts of ABCD in </span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">India</span><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial">
should  know each other, correspond and
work together for Unicode compliance for all Indian languages. It is very
necessary for the implementation of ABCD in libraries in Indian context since,
for example,  even a small village library
in Kerala keeps books from many languages like Malayalam, Hindi, Tamil, Kannada,
Arabic, Urdu, Bengali, etc, besides English.</span></font></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Arial;background-image:initial;background-repeat:initial"><font size="4">I can contribute to this end for Malayalam and Tamil
languages. I am contributing to Unicode Malayalam and  designed free fonts Rachana and Meera for Malayalam
and ‘Meera Tamil’ for Tamil language.</font></span></p>

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<p class="MsoNormal"><font face="Arial" size="4">- hus</font></p></div>