The secrecy surrounding Jayalalitha’s health

It is now thirteen days since the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J.Jayalalitha was admitted to the Apollo Hospital in Chennai. But the secrecy surrounding her health condition and recovery is only mounting day by day, hour by hour.

Many feel that this does not hold good for democracy which gives the people the important right to know. The shroud of misinformation and lack of linformation surrounding the state of a leader’s condition, causing multiple speculations,mass prayer sessions and a panic-like situation leads to the next question- Are we really living in a democracy?

The hospital bulletins which are released in a regular basis provide no real clue about the actual cause – dehydration is not a disease , it is only one manifestation—-of what? The bulletins also have said that she is recovering from infection—–what infection? An intensive care specialist was brought all the way from U.K to assess her condition but the people of Tamil Nadu are kept in the dark, literally. And the ruling partyworkers are going all out telling people not to believe rumours. Do they atleast know? Unlikely.

The most recent news or lack of news is “The same line of treatment is being continued. The Honourable Chief Minister is under close observation by the team of doctors.”
In this age of reason, one should not mislead the public. After all India enacted the ‘Right to Information’ nearly 10 years back.

-UDAAN