Mysuru: Nine members of the Hakki Pikki tribal community from Mysuru and Shivamogga, who were arrested by law-enforcement authorities in Ivory Coast, a West African country, have been released following intervention by the Indian Embassy and state govt.Now experts are demanding an awareness drive among the community members besides a dedicated department to handle these kinds of incidents.According to Karnataka Hakkipikki Tribal Organisation president R Puneeth Kumar, nine tribals had travelled to Ivory Coast around four months ago for business reasons, including the sale of indigenous products from Karnataka. However, they were arrested about 15 days ago on charges of violating rules and regulations, including the misuse of tourist visas.“The families of those arrested approached us seeking help. We subsequently appealed to the Karnataka government and the Indian Embassy in Ivory Coast. We also sought the intervention of Arathi Krishna, MLC and former deputy chairperson of the NRI Forum. Following their interventions, the nine people have now been released,” Kumar said.He said the local authorities had instructed the community members to strictly comply with the laws and regulations of Ivory Coast during their stay.“We are working to create awareness among our community members on how they can enter another country legally and carry out our business to avoid repeat of such kinds of incidents,” he said.Arathi Krishna, who is also AICC secretary-in charge of IOC and foreign affairs and vice-chairperson of department of foreign affairs, AICC, said there is an urgent need for a dedicated mechanism in Karnataka to assist citizens facing difficulties abroad.“As I was serving in the state NRI Forum till recently, people, including senior public representatives, approached me seeking assistance in such cases. These are sensitive matters that require careful and coordinated intervention. Like in Kerala, Karnataka needs a dedicated department to assist its citizens during such a crisis,” she said.Arathi Krishna said she had also met members of the Hakki Pikki community in Shivamogga and other places to create awareness about the need to comply with immigration and other local regulations while travelling abroad.
