Particulars

Descriptions

Name

• Hikki Pikki Tribe. (Hakki in Kannada means ‘bird’ and Pikki means ‘catchers’).

Distribution/settlemets

• Karnataka, Western and Southern states of India, mostly near forest areas.
• Originated from Gujarat and Rajasthan and migrated to south.

Society

• The society is matriarchal and Monogamy is the norm.
• Age of marriage among the tribe is 18 for women and 22 for men, and cross-cousin marriages are preferred.

Rituals and customs.

• Follows Hindu traditions and celebrates Hindu festivals.
• Eldest son in a family is not supposed to cut his hair so that he can be identified easily.

Languages

• Mother tongue - ‘Vaagri’.
• Speak Indo Aryan language.
• Speak  Kannada.
• UNESCO has listed Hakkipikki is one of the endangered languages.

Legal/Constitutional Status

• It is a Scheduled Tribe in Karnataka.
• Around 114 members of Hakki Pikki and Iruliga tribal communities received their title deeds for the land on the edges of the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP) in 2023.

Livelihood

• Earlier they are hunter gatherer .
• Hakki Pikki people work selling spices, flowers, Ayurvedic products, and herbal oils these days.
• Africa is a big market for their products.

Africa link

• The primary employment activity of the tribe in Africa is selling herbal products using their traditional knowledge.
• Community members claim that traveling to African nations gives them a better chance of escaping poverty more quickly.
• Note:  During Sudanese civil war Indian government, through Operation Kaveri evacuated many members of this tribe from war-torn region of Sudan.

Threats

• Educational backwardness.
• Stricter wildlife protection laws.

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. Recently, “Hakki Pikki tribal community” often mentioned in news are the schedule tribal group of which state?

A. Telangana

B. Karnataka

C. Chhattisgarh

D. Odisha

Answer B