A badly worded order of the Government of Tamil Nadu has made it illegal for any person or media outlet to air any information on COVID-19 without obtaining prior permission from the Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Director of Medical Rural Health Services, Director of Medical Education or Collector.

The March 15, 2020, Government Order (G.O) signed by Beela Rajesh, the Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, says, “No person or institution shall use any print or electronic media for dissemination of any information regarding COVID-19 without obtaining prior permission” from the above named officials. 

This clause of the order may have been prompted by the need to contain fake news. 

That is the charitable reading into the intentions behind the G.O. The more sinister, and it is hoped unlikely, reading is that this clause is meant to be used to silence those who point to inadequacies in the state’s handling of the pandemic, or highlight inconvenient facts pertinent to the situation.

Unless amended to bring in clarity, the G.O. could have a chilling effect on public commentators and experts who may have important suggestions to allay public fears, improve the government’s handling of the situation and educate people on appropriate behaviour to handle the situation.

The censor clause in the G.O. is absurd. Strictly speaking, even this article itself is violative of the G.O., not to mention that any media circulating in Tamil Nadu that gives unauthorised publicity to an advisory issued by the Government of India or the World Health Organisation (WHO) would be in violation of the G.O.

All emergencies – be it constitutional, health or environmental – are accompanied by a concentration of authority, and a suspension or restriction of many rights. Health emergencies such as this may justifiably allow the state to restrict the right to free movement enjoyed by individuals. But using it to suppress free speech especially on a subject of such vital public importance can be dangerous and harm the efforts to contain the pandemic.

Dr Amalorpavanathan, a respected surgeon and public intellectual, says, “It would be wrong to curb dissemination of correct and scientific information in a democratic set-up. That is the only way that you can counter unscientific information and rumours.”

Nityanand is a Chennai-based writer and social activist. Views are author’s own.