Editor's Pick: The story of bird-catchers, Sudanese civil war and politics

Hakki Pikki – a nomadic tribe from Karnataka – caught in a civil war in Sudan stands as a contemporary tale of migration, development and the human desire to thrive. They did not have ready access to education and vocational training, thus, relying on their native wisdom to earn a living. Their traditional knowledge of herbal medicines found a place in the post-pandemic world. Africa, which has its own indigenous medicine, provided them space for ready acceptance. However, the tribe was better recognised for their traditional occupation of bird-catching. “Bird catching is our traditional occupation. But now we don’t have that kind of dense forest anymore and the birds have fled,” said Prabhu Dass, who is stranded in Al Fashir, the capital of North Darfur. The tribe is now scattered across the Sudanese capital Khartoum and in the Darfur region in West Sudan. Their total count is likely to be approx. 300, including women and children. Of them, approximately 250 are in Khartoum, while 33 are in Darfur, where a civil war has raged for many years. They are the latest groups to have arrived in Al Fashir, a region that has witnessed influx of people because of the Darfur crisis. For now, the members of the tribe stranded in Sudan only demand that they be shifted to safety in neighbouring Chad or Ethiopia. The scenario is now not without its politics in the backdrop of the upcoming polls in Karnataka. Congress leader Siddaramaiah had tweeted earlier that it was “unfortunate to know that we have lost one Indian & 60 others” in the civil war and reportedly 31 members of the tribe were stranded. To which, Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated it was “grossly irresponsible” of him “to politicise their situation”, informing that “Plans regarding them have to take into account a very complicated security scenario”. Was this newsletter forwarded to you? 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[Arrow]( [Open in browser]( [Mail icon]( [More newsletters]( The story of bird-catchers, Sudanese civil war and politics Hakki Pikki – a nomadic tribe from Karnataka – caught in a civil war in Sudan stands as a contemporary tale of migration, development and the human desire to thrive. They did not have ready access to education and vocational training, thus, relying on their native wisdom to earn a living. Their traditional knowledge of herbal medicines found a place in the post-pandemic world. Africa, which has its own indigenous medicine, provided them space for ready acceptance. However, the tribe was better recognised for their traditional occupation of bird-catching. “Bird catching is our traditional occupation. But now we don’t have that kind of dense forest anymore and the birds have fled,”[said Prabhu Dass]( who is stranded in Al Fashir, the capital of North Darfur. The tribe is now scattered across the Sudanese capital Khartoum and in the Darfur region in West Sudan. Their total count is likely to be approx. 300, including women and children. Of them, approximately 250 are in Khartoum, while 33 are in Darfur, where a civil war has raged for many years. They are the latest groups to have arrived in Al Fashir, a region that has witnessed influx of people because of the Darfur crisis. For now, the members of the tribe stranded in Sudan only demand that they be shifted to safety in neighbouring Chad or Ethiopia. The scenario is now not without its politics in the backdrop of the upcoming polls in Karnataka. Congress leader Siddaramaiah had tweeted earlier that it was “unfortunate to know that we have lost one Indian & 60 others” in the civil war and reportedly 31 members of the tribe were stranded. To which, Foreign Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated it was “grossly irresponsible” of him “to politicise their situation”, informing that “Plans regarding them have to take into account a very complicated security scenario”. 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