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April 18, 2023 05:40 pm | Updated April 20, 2023 08:05 pm IST – Bengaluru
Over 30 persons from Karnataka are stuck in the city of El-Fasher in Sudan. They are living in fear after clashes between government forces.
Bengaluru
As Sudan continues to witness large-scale violence, at least 181 persons from Karnataka are stuck in the African country.
S. Prabhu (36) from Davangere and his wife from the Hakki Pikki tribe have been stuck in the city of El-Fasher for the last 10 days. He has been in Sudan for the last 10 months to sell traditional medicine, which is in huge demand in the African country.
When contacted over the phone, Mr. Prabhu told The Hindu, ”We are here with 31 other persons living in a rented house. Two days ago, we heard a firing outside. The building was damaged and a bullet made a hole in a wall during the crossfire.
A man shows the damage caused by a bullet in the building where the people from Karnataka are residing, in the cross-fire last week, in the city of El-Fasher in Sudan.
“We belong to places in Davangere, Shivamogga, and Mysuru, and our group includes women and children. We were not able to go out due to continuous gunfire and shelling. A local police officer is now with us. He told us to vacate this area since there is the possibility of more attacks.”
They said they had no access to food or drinking water for four days until April 16, when Mr. Prabhu managed to get some ration when one shop in the locality opened for some time.
According to Mr. Prabhu, Hakki Pikki tribes in Karnataka possess traditional medicinal knowledge and there is demand for it in some African countries and, thus, members of the community have been making trips to the continent for nearly a decade now.
Meanwhile, Manoj Rajan, Commissioner for Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority, said they are in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) regarding the safety of people from Karnataka in Sudan.
“We have spoken to people from our State who are stuck in Sudan. A group of 31 persons, including women and children from Davangere, has been stuck in the Sudanese city of El-Fasher. I have spoken to the Joint Commissioner concerned. He informed me that 181 persons from Karnataka are stuck in that country. We are finding out if there are more Kannadigas there,” Mr. Rajan told The Hindu.
The authority has told them to watch out for updates from the embassy of India in Sudan. “We have told them to be in covered areas and not to venture out. We assured them that Indians are not targeted in the present violence, and to be in a safe place,” he added.
The embassy in Sudan issued an advisory on April 17 urging Indians not to venture out of their residences and stay calm. On April 16, the embassy reported that an Indian had died in Khartoum after sustaining bullet injuries.
According to official data, the number of Indians in Sudan is around 4,000, including 1,200 who had settled down in the country decades ago.
The issue also led to a war of words between the Congress and the BJP. Former Chief Minister and Congress leader Siddaramaiah urged both central and state governments to immediately intervene and ensure the safe return of those stranded in Sudan. In a tweet tagging the Prime Minister, Ministry of External Affairs and Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Mr Siddramaiah wrote, “Hakki Pikkis in Sudan are left stranded without food since the last few days & the govt is yet to initiate action to bring them back. @BJP4India govt should immediately open diplomatic discussions & reach out to international agencies to ensure the well-being of Hakki Pikkis.”
Replying to Siddaramaiah’s tweet, Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “Simply appalled at your tweet! There are lives at stake; don’t do politics. Since the fighting started on April 14th, the Embassy of India in Khartoum has been continuously in touch with most Indian Nationals and PIOs in Sudan.”
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