Dipke visits families in M.P.’s Balaghat, puts lens on tribal children’s deaths

Abhijeet Dipke, the founder of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), arrived in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, September 12, 2026, to meet the families of Baiga tribal children who have recently died. In statements posted on X, Dipke alleged that the deaths could have been avoided with timely medical care and accused the state government and local officials of a cover‑up, including claims of cremations without post‑mortems.

According to the Balaghat collector Kumar Satyam, more than 30 children have died in the Birsa block over the last two and a half months from diseases such as measles, malaria, respiratory infections, malnutrition, anaemia and dehydration. Official records list 36 child deaths, while Dipke’s sources suggest the figure is higher. The administration reports that 86 children were hospitalized following tribal protests and that over 450 children received treatment at government hospitals in recent months. Health screenings have been conducted in 40 villages of the block, and the chief minister has approved financial assistance for affected families.

The crisis has highlighted long‑standing gaps in healthcare access for the Baiga community, who traditionally rely on faith‑based healing due to limited modern medical infrastructure. The BJP‑led state government faced criticism from the opposition Congress and from Dipke, who also alleged that the police were detaining tribal students assisting his visit. On September 9, the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued notices to authorities after a petition demanded urgent intervention, underscoring the legal and political pressure surrounding the public‑health emergency.