POLITICS
Madhya Pradesh: 22 tribal children die of malnutrition; Congress seeks probe
Of 1,149 children under six screened at 28 Anganwadi centres in July, 213 were found to be moderately underweight
The deaths of 22 tribal children from the Baiga community due to malnutrition and related illnesses in BJP ruled Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district have triggered a political storm, with the Congress demanding an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the deaths.
Madhya Pradesh Adivasi Congress president Vikrant Bhuria on Monday, 24 August demanded the formation of a special committee to investigate the deaths. He also sought an inquiry into the deaths of tribal students following an alleged snakebite incident at a hostel in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli.
“Here, the nutritional meals delivered to homes have been stopped for the last six months. The nearest primary health centre is 20 km away. Land titles granted under the Forest Rights Act have been cancelled. Officials have also stated that vaccination coverage here is below 80 per cent,” Bhuria said.
Members of the Sarv Adivasi Samaj staged a rally on Sunday evening to protest the deaths, demanding Rs 1 crore compensation for each bereaved family and strict action against officials responsible for alleged lapses in healthcare and disease prevention.
The Madhya Pradesh government, however, has announced compensation of Rs 20,000 for each bereaved family. “Is the life of an Adivasi worth only Rs 20,000?” Bhuria said.
He said he had raised the issue in the Madhya Pradesh legislative Assembly and sought details of the budget allocated for preventing malnutrition in tribal blocks and projects between 2020 and 2025, as well as the amount actually spent. “The response was extremely concerning. The government said malnourished children are being provided a nutritional meal worth only Rs 12 a day,” he said.
Bhuria also alleged that the women and child development department had made no separate budgetary provision for the scheme in tribal blocks.
Targeting the BJP led Maharashtra government over the deaths of students at a tribal hostel in Gadchiroli, Bhuria claimed that more than 70 girls had been made to sleep in a single room.
“The shocking thing is that the tribal hostel did not even have enough beds, and more than 70 girls were forced to sleep on the floor in a single room. In the incident, six girls were admitted to hospital, of whom three died,” he said.
Bhuria said a hunger strike by students in Nashik was continuing over the conditions in tribal hostels, with protesters demanding better facilities and improved living conditions.
“A special committee should be formed to investigate the deaths of tribal children in Balaghat, and action should be taken against officials found responsible,” Bhuria said.
MP government data cited in recent reports point to persistent nutritional concerns in the region. Of the 1,149 children under six years of age screened at 28 Anganwadi centres in July, 213 were found to be moderately underweight and 18 severely underweight. Officials said 125 children had since recovered and been discharged, while several others remained under treatment.