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The Prime Minister interacts with members of the Hakki Biki tribe who were evacuated under Operation Kaveri. (photo: News18)
The deportees expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister and praised the government’s proactive measures that ensured their timely and safe evacuation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with members of the Hakee Biki tribe in Shivamuga, Karnataka, who were evacuated from Sudan under Operation Kaveri amid the ongoing civil war.
At least 31 members of the Hiki Peki Adivasi community from Karnataka state are among the Indians evacuated from Sudan by the government.
The evacuees, during their interaction with the Prime Minister, expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister, and praised the proactive government measures that ensured their timely and safe evacuation. The tribe members also shared the difficult conditions they faced in Sudan and how the Indian government and embassy provided support to ensure their safety.
The Hakki-Pikkis are a semi-nomadic community in Karnataka known for their traditional medicinal systems based on plants and herbs. They lived in deep forests and are bird-hunting societies and can speak multiple languages including Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and their own dialect called Vagribooli, which is said to be similar to Gujarati. According to some beliefs, their ancestors migrated to South India from Gujarat after previous invasions. The people living in the cities of Karnataka also trust the medicines of the tribal group.
They particularly praised the Prime Minister for his efforts, stressing that he took care of their safety without a scratch. They also expressed their happiness about it and said that it is not a twin engine power but a triple engine.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the historical contribution of the community in India, mentioning the support of their ancestors to Maharana Pratap. He reassured them that the government was committed to solving the difficulties faced by any Indian in the world.
Sudan evacuation
Karnataka Disaster Management Authority Commissioner Manoj Rajan said last month, “We have received a message that a group of 31 people hailing from Karnataka are stranded in Sudan. We have informed the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) about this.” The officer said his department asked the group to follow the instructions of the Indian embassy in Sudan.
According to a state government official who spoke to PTI, given the unavailability and high cost of modern medical treatment in Sudan, the Haqqi-Biki tribe saw an opportunity to offer people effective and affordable alternative medicines.
It is not clear how they managed to travel such a long distance from India to Sudan in the shadow of their impoverished country. One of the officers said that once they return, the matter should be investigated.
The eviction of the tribe led to a war of words between former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, with Siddaramaiah accusing the government of inaction and Jaishankar accusing him of politicizing the issue for election purposes.
Prime Minister Modi launched a veiled attack on Congress and told members of the tribe that while some politicians had tried to politicize the issue, the government had quietly worked to ensure the safety of all, as revealing their location could have put them at greater risk. He urged them to remember the strength of the country and always be ready to help the needy and contribute to society and the nation.
Karnataka Chief Minister on the last day of campaigning for the May 10 general assembly elections in the state.
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