Madhya Pradesh is facing a harsh reality these days. Even the most basic needs of common people are not safe anymore.
Maroof Ahmed Khan, a Bhopal-based social activist and writer, in a statement has said that in a democracy, both government and public have responsibility. The government must give safe medicine and clean water and fix the accountability when it fails. The public must remember these questions in every election and stand strongly for change.
In Chhindwara, children died after taking cough syrup, while in a big city like Indore, the financial capital of the state, people lost their lives because of drinking contaminated water supplied by the municipal corporation of the city. These are not just separate incidents, but they show a deep failure of administration and politics, Khan asserted.
Basic needs of life
He stated that medicines and water are the basic needs of life. When these become the reason for death, the question is not only about carelessness, but also about accountability. The Chhindwara case raised serious questions on the medicine testing system of the health department, while the Indore case exposed the reality of the water supply system of cities.
The most worrying thing is that even after these deaths, Khan lamented that there is no strong political action from the government. No responsibility is fixed on Health Minister Narendra Shivaji Patel and no action is taken against Urban Body Minister Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya. Every time orders for inquiry are given, some officers are suspended and then the matter is considered closed. But the ministers, who are responsible for policies and monitoring, remain completely safe.
Public also has a big role
This is not only the failure of the Madhya Pradesh government, the public also has a big role. Election after election, the same faces, same system and same careless attitude is repeated. “We show anger on social media, we feel sad about accidents, but during voting, the same silence and same acceptance is seen. When power is given again and again without questions, then the hope of accountability becomes weak”, he moaned.
Khan said: “The people of Madhya Pradesh have to decide if the deaths of children and citizens will have any political cost or not. If every tragedy will remain limited to compensation and statements, then this will never stop. Today it is Chhindwara and Indore, tomorrow it might be some other city.”
A basic right of every citizen
Safe medicine and clean water is not a special demand. It is a basic right of every citizen. Now it is time to go beyond words of sympathy, ask questions to the government, and the voters should also think seriously about their own role, he concluded.
Now, a few words about the background of Maroof Ahmed Khan. He is actively involved in community welfare initiatives and regularly writes on social issues, public interest and grassroots concerns.
He is also the petitioner in the “Love Jihad” case in the Madhya Pradesh High Court, through which he has sought legal and administrative intervention to address concerns related to forced religious conversion and the protection of women’s rights. Through both his activism and writing, he consistently raises issues of social justice, governance and public accountability, with the objective of creating awareness and encouraging constructive dialogue in society.
