WikiConference Kerala 2025/Report

It was a truly memorable gathering of Open Knowledge advocates from across South India as they converged for Wiki Conferance Kerala 2025, the 3rd edition of WCK, and the 23rd Anniversary of Malayalam Wikipedia. Held at the Kerala Institute of Local Administration - KILA in Mulamkunnathukavu, the day was filled with quality discussions centered on the theme: "The Future of Knowledge in the Era of Artificial Intelligence (AI)." The program opened with the rhythmic soul of Kerala—a traditional Pulluvanpattu folklore performance—setting a cultural foundation for the technological dialogues to follow. This was followed by thematic presentations from experts including Dr. Sunil Thomas Thonikuzhiyil, Dr. Jijo P. Ulahannan, Dr. Jeena A.V., Dr. Netha Hussain, and Athul R.T., who delved into the critical challenges and emerging opportunities for digital knowledge ecosystems in the AI age.

A special highlight was the recorded greeting from Maryana Iskander, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, who addressed the local community. The anniversary celebrations included a ceremonial cake-cutting with KILA Registrar Sumesh K.R. and other distinguished guests. The event also marked two major milestones: the successful completion of the digitization of science author Dr. M.P Parameswaran’s works and the launch of the Vaidyabhooshanam K Raghavan Thirumulpad Archive Project. Updates followed, with Ranjith Siji presenting the State of the Malayalam Wikimedia Projects and Jinoy Tom Jacob delivering the annual report for the Wikimedians of Kerala User Group.

The afternoon featured a robust track on Indian Language Archives and Book Digitization, moderated by Manoj Karingamadathil. Panelists Omshivaprakash H L (Servants of Knowledge/Kannada Wiki), Lokanathan Ratnavel (Tamil Wikimedians), Dr. Kishore Kumar Rai Sheni (Tulu Wiki/Karavali Wikimedians), and Tony Antony (Malayalam Wikisource) shared strategies for transforming and preserving regional literature through Wikisource. Dr. Kishore Kumar Rai Sheni shared about Tuluvas Aati Month project by Karavali Wikimedians. Omshivaprakash detailed about visions for building "OpenCollab & OpenTech" for archiving in India, while Subhashish Panigrahi (Odia Wikimedians/OpenSpeaks) contributed a pre-recorded session on digital tools for indigenous languages.

Innovation remained at the forefront with Arun PS (Atyeti Research) introducing MLATrack, a project mapping Kerala Assembly interventions with Wikidata. Jaisen Nedumpala (OpenDataKerala/SMC) shared the journey of Turning Ballots into Maps, focusing on open data from the 2025 Kerala LSGI elections.

A vibrant young team and interns from Zendalona and Sreekrishnapuram Govt College, under the leadership of Nalin Sathyan, showcased landmark accessibility projects including the World-Map-Explorer, z.Coco-pi (a computing platform for visually impaired learners), and z.WebKeyBind.

The WikiWomen Track highlighted the story of reviving Wiki Loves Earth in India by Sneha C (Sir Syed College), Introduction to the Wikipedia Library by Jameela P., Bridging the Gender gap through Shesaid Campaign by Siji R.

Further sessions focused on diverse "Wiki Loves" campaigns, including Wiki Loves Folklore by Shagil Muzhappilangad and Wiki Loves Birds by Irvin Sabastian.

The eventful day concluded on a high note with a mesmerizing Tholpavakoothu (shadow puppetry) performance by the Tholpavakoothu Sangham, Koonathara. Artists K. Viswanatha Pulavar and Vipin Pulavar interacted with the audience, sharing the deep heritage of this traditional South Indian art form.

This Wiki Conference Kerala initiative was made possible through the powerful synergy between institutional support and community dedication, driven by the Sahya Digital Conservation Foundation, Swathanthra Malayalam Computing, Free Software Users Group Thrissur, FSCI, Zendalona, OpenData Kerala, and the Wikimedians of Kerala. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all well-wishers, volunteers, and supporters who made this landmark event a success.