Instagram briefly suspended the accounts of three independent journalists who had been reporting on the deaths of Adivasi children in Madhya Pradesh‘s Balaghat district. The accounts were restored by Wednesday morning.
Monika Singh, Bindu Gurjar, and Lokbhadra Singh had been covering protests by Adivasi groups following the children’s deaths, drawing attention to hospital mismanagement and the challenges faced by ASHA workers in the region. After his account was reinstated, Lokbhadra Singh said attempts were being made to harass the journalists and break their spirit, but that they would not back down.
Scroll reported earlier this month that a measles and malaria outbreak in the region went undetected for at least two months, contributing to the deaths of at least 25 children from the Baiga and Gond tribes.
Press Club of India Condemns Suspensions
The Press Club of India issued a statement Tuesday condemning the suspensions and expressing concern about efforts to intimidate or silence journalists engaged in public interest work. The press body noted the journalists were reporting on allegations of around 30 suspected child deaths over approximately three months. According to the statement, the journalists faced repeated pressure from Balaghat district officials to meet local authorities privately. When they declined, they were allegedly asked to vacate their hotel rooms. Plainclothes police officers allegedly followed the journalists and monitored their movements for two days.
The Press Club called for an impartial examination of the reported pressure and surveillance the journalists faced while carrying out their professional duties.
Political Response
Indian Youth Congress In-charge Manish Sharma met with the three journalists Tuesday in Delhi. The Congress party’s youth wing alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state was attempting to suppress independent journalism.
“Instead of answering for the deaths and the collapse of Madhya Pradesh’s healthcare system, the BJP governments are targeting those who dared to report the truth,” the party said in a social media post.