Operation Kaveri: India Completes Risky Evacuation Of Hakki Pikki Tribe Members From Karnataka Stranded In Sudan

India has successfully completed a particularly risky evacuation of dozens of members of the Hakki Pikki tribe of Karnataka from war-torn Sudan, as part of its ongoing 'Operation Kaveri'.

The Hakki Pikki tribe is a semi-nomadic tribe traditionally engaged in bird catching and hunting, living in forest areas in west and south India.

It is a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka and their origin is said to be an ancestral relation with the legendary Rajput King Rana Pratap Singh.

Expressing gratitude towards the Indian government for their safe evacuation, one of the community member elaborated on their journey from the western region of Darfur to the Saudi port of Jeddah via Port Sudan.

The community member said that they spent four days and three nights in buses that were provided to them by the Indian Embassy in Khartoum.

"Our batch consisted of 71 Hakki Pikki members and we had to travel around around two thousand kilometres from El Fashir to Port Sudan. We were divided into two buses that carried us from El Fashir,” Prabhu Dass, a member of the Hakki Pikki tribe who coordinated with the Indian Embassy regarding the evacuation, was quoted as saying by The Hindu.

Dass said that the journey was difficult as one of the buses broke down mid way and had to be replaced. 

Dass expressed his gratitude towards the Embassy of India in Khartoum, Karnataka government and the Government of India for their support during the difficult period.

He informed that they had to spend a night out in the open as they waited for the replacement bus to join them.

The women and men spent the night in a forest area without proper mobile connectivity, Das said, adding that "the replacement bus joined us by morning and we were able to come to Port Sudan”. 

The members of the Hakki Pikki stayed for a night at a school in Port Sudan, which the Indian community there has been using as a hostel for the Indian evacuees.

The tribe members were later flown to Jeddah in a C-130J aircraft of the IAF.

Earlier last month, a war of words broke out between former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Twitter over evacuation of the Hakki Pikki tribe members, when the Congress leader accused the Centre of "inaction".

In response, EAM Jaishankar accused the former Karnataka chief minister of politicising the issue.

The forest is the main natural resource of the Hakki Pikki, and so the tribe has faced challenges due to stricter wildlife protection laws, leading them to shift from hunting to selling herbal oils, spices, and plastic flowers in local temple fairs.

According to the 2011 census, the Hakki Pikki population in Karnataka is 11,892, and they live mostly in Davangere, Mysuru, Kolar, Hassan and Shivmogga districts. 

In recent years, members of the Hakki Pikki tribe have been travelling to African countries to sell their products as there is a huge demand for Ayurvedic products in the continent.

African countries offer better market opportunities, with the potential for higher returns on investment in raw materials such as hibiscus powder, oil extraction, gooseberry, Ayurvedic plants, etc.