People's Democracy

MADHYA PRADESH

Death Toll Nears Half-Century Mark in Tribal Village

P V Ramachandran

WHILE the BJP state government is of Madhya Pradesh on a publicity spree on “Save the Girl Child” campaign and is spending hundreds of crores of rupees on publicity, including cut-outs of its chief minister, four hamlets of Sidhi district in Madhya Pradesh registered 49 deaths of small children due to malnutrition. 

Sidhi is a district predominantly inhabited by adivasi Gond community --- the original residents of Madhya Pradesh. These villages are Chouphal, Pawaya, Kuthar and Kari Mati. In Chouphal village, 15 deaths had taken place till October 22 and CPI(M) district secretary Sunder Singh Baghel immediately reported the matter to the district collector. The matter was also reported in writing by the ANM of the area to the higher authorities. Surprisingly, however, the district collector of Sidhi sought to sermonise the CPI(M) district secretary that deaths are in accordance with the God’s desire  and even millionaires and billionaires are bound to die; there was therefore  no necessity to worry about these deaths. He said death is nothing but a mere separation of the soul from the body. This was the level of arrogance and inhumane attitude the district administrations under Shivraj Singh Chauhan’s chief ministership has been exhibiting in Madhya Pradesh. 

Unfortunately, out of the 28 deaths reported from Chouphal village, 19 were girls. The government downplayed the havoc of death by stating that the deaths were due to falciperum malaria but that the epidemic is now under control. The chief minister failed to make the people understand why the mosquitoes are biting only the Gond and Baiga adivasis and not any other section of the population. The health ministry of the state has been a total failure in this matter. 

CPI(M) state secretary Badal Saroj rushed to these villages on November 6, along with CPI(M) district secretary Sunder Singh Baghel and state secretariat member Ram Narain Kuraria who is also the general secretary of state Kisan Sabha. They witnessed in Chouphal how scores of adivasis were being brought to the makeshift temporary health camp made in the panchayat office. In their presence, more than half a dozen children were referred to the district hospital as serious cases. It was thus clear that no proper arrangement was made for the treatment of these children in the village itself. This also means that the state government and the district administration did not pay any heed to the request of the CPI(M) district secretary made on October 22, which resulted in an unabated spree of death till November 3. The calamity could certainly have been averted if only the state government had taken necessary steps to provide relief to the adivasi hamlets. This represents a total failure of the government and its health department.  

Surprisingly, none of the MLAs, ministers or the chief minister himself have visited these villages. Shivraj Singh Chauhan is waiting for completion of the work of a new helipad that is being constructed for his visit. Had the funds being spent for preparing the helipad, been spent on the health front, this epidemic could have been contained. Even the doctors posted in the primary health centres have not been attending to their duties for the last 18 months. No action whatsoever has been taken in their case either. The reason is that one of the doctors is the son of the labour minister in Shivraj Singh’s cabinet, another is the son of a BJP MLA and another his son-in-law. To save these culprits, the government instead took action against the ANM who actually did her duty by informing about the seriousness in writing. She was transferred. Another employees was also charge-sheeted in order to protect the above three doctors who are guilty of criminal negligence and absented themselves from duties for a long time.  The state government is also trying to underplay the level of malnutrition by stating that the deaths were due to malaria. 

The Madhya Pradesh state unit of the CPI(M) has taken strong exception to the callous attitude of the BJP government and its criminal negligence in the matter of providing necessary help and relief to the affected villagers. CPI(M) state secretary Badal Saroj wrote an open letter to the chief minister demanding immediate steps in order to provide relief to the victims and to stop the spread of the death.

The CPI(M) has also demanded action against the irresponsible officials, and particularly the preacher collector of Sidhi and officers of the health department who did not take any remedial measures even after getting a written report from the ANM on October 17 and the complaint from the CPI(M) district secretary on October 22. The party has insisted on the dismissal of the three doctors for their absence from duty for a long time and their criminal neglect of the situation. The CPI(M) also said there must be an immediate enquiry into the distribution of mid-day meal and nutritious food meant for distribution in these villages, and action against the politician-contractor-official nexus that has been appropriating the food meant for tribal children. 

Other demands of the CPI(M) are (1) launch of a programme to supply nutritious food in these villages on war footing; (2) implementation of the Forest Rights Act and  the MGNREGA in letter and spirit, with ensured payment under these acts; (3) compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the 49 children who have died in these four villages.

The CPI(M) has warned the state government that it must take these deaths as a consequence of malnutrition and not of a malaria epidemic, as it is now claiming in order to divert the public attention.

The CPI(M) has initiated an agitation against the deaths at the level of the Sidhi district headquarters and Rewa commissionerate. State leaders of the party and other mass organisations are also participating in these actions.