Rahul Gandhi Questions Government Over Deaths of Tribal Children

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday met the families of tribal children who died following illness in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district. He travelled by road from Gondia in Maharashtra to Balaghat and spent around an hour interacting with affected tribal families in the Birsa block, listening to their concerns and difficulties. Reports said more than 30 tribal children have died in the region in recent months. Official accounts have cited multiple health factors, including malaria, measles, malnutrition, anaemia, respiratory problems and dehydration.

Gandhi alleged that the state and Central governments had failed to adequately address the health and nutrition concerns of tribal communities. He also visited a government primary school in Mate village and enquired about the midday meal being provided to students and other facilities. Reports, however, indicate differences over the number of deaths and the precise medical causes involved, with official records and political claims not fully matching. Health investigations have pointed to multiple contributing factors rather than a single cause for all the deaths.