SHIVAMOGGA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday interacted with the members of the tribal Hakki Pikki community who were evacuated from violence-hit Sudan under ‘Operation Kaveri’. Among the Indian evacuees were at least 31 members of the community from Karnataka.
They expressed their gratitude to the PM and also shared the challenges they faced in Sudan and how the government and Indian Embassy helped them. The Hakki Pikki community members felicitated Modi with a traditional garland and also sang their songs.
Interacting with them, the Prime Minister asked, “Where were you at the time? Were you all together or separated?” The community members said that they were staying in different hotels and could hear bombs exploding nearby.
Modi said that the government does not have peaceful sleep if any Indian is stuck abroad. “Some politicians were politicising the issue. We wanted to ensure that no Indian is harmed in Sudan. I’m happy that you have come out. This is the strength of the country and do not forget it,” he said. The Hakki Pikkis are a semi-nomadic community in Karnataka known for their traditional plant- and herb-based medicines and are also traditional bird-catchers.