Explore

...

...

Next Story

Tragic cocktail of bad health care, superstition for MP’s tribals

In 2023, the women and child development department identified 11,774 vulnerable families which had considered branding their children as a medical practice

Updated on: Feb 14, 2024, 03:06:02 IST

By Shruti Tomar, Shahdol

Prefer HTon Google

Advertisement

This could not be happening again. It was the middle of November, and in 22-year-old Ganeshiya Baiga’s arms, her three-month old Ragini daughter was shivering — breath drawn sharply, eyes fluttering, body fading. Ganeshiya’s mind flashed back to another baby who was once motionless in her arms; her six-month-old son had died after he fell into the village well. This could not be happening again.

A slogan warning people against branding written across a house in Shahdol. (HT PHOTO)

She looked for help, but there was none. It was early afternoon, and her husband,

All Access.
One Subscription.

Get 360° coverage—from daily headlines
to 100 year archives.

E-Paper

Full
Archives

Full Access to
HT App & Website

Games

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

...Read MoreI have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism. Read Less

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.

Home/India News/Tragic cocktail of bad health care, superstition for MP’s tribals

See Less

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON