India, Feb. 14 -- The world is going through tumultuous times. China , too, has not been spared. A dreaded virus has struck the Middle Kingdom and there's no end in sight for the epidemic though it seems to be spreading at a slower pace outside Wuhan, its epicenter. The epidemic has strange collaterals. In usual times, internet and social networks are kept under close watch by the communist State and any "reactionary" or "anti-Government" post is deleted immediately. Ever since the outbreak of the virus, monitoring has been extended to topics that are usually out of the purview of the censor.

Recently, netizens received a notice from Douban, a popular Chinese social network, which said, "The news you posted has been removed as it contain...