Himachal Govt Grants Scheduled Tribe Status to Hattee Community

Delhi: In a significant development, the Himachal Pradesh Government issued a notification on the first day of the year, officially granting Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the Hattee community, The Tribune reported. This fulfills a longstanding demand from the residents of the Trans Giri belt. 

The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, announced his intention to travel to Nahan on January 3rd to formally declare the granting of the ST status to the Hattee community in the Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district.

Around 1.60 lakh individuals belonging to the Hattee community, residing in 95 villages across 58 gram panchayats in the Shillai, Renukaji, Pachhad, and Paonta Sahib Assembly segments of Sirmour district, would benefit from this decision.

Speaking to the media, Sukhu confirmed the government's commitment by citing the issuance of the notification promptly after receiving clarifications from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs regarding the exclusion of individuals belonging to the local Scheduled Caste (SC) community. "We did it immediately as the clarification from the Centre was received on December 30 and yesterday it was a holiday," he stated.

Sukhu engaged in discussions with a delegation representing the Hattee Community of Sirmaur district. He highlighted that the state Law Department sought clarifications from the central government in September, eventually receiving a response on December 30. Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan and various Hattee community representatives were present during this interaction, as per the Tribune's report.

The newly acquired ST status now entitles the Hattee people to avail themselves of benefits such as reservation in educational institutions and government jobs. This move comes subsequent to the Union Cabinet's approval on September 14, 2022, for granting ST status to the Hattees.

The journey to achieve this milestone faced hurdles when the Himachal Pradesh government sought clarification from the Centre regarding the exclusion of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. Sukhu emphasised that the government persisted in seeking clarifications and sent several reminders since September 2022.

The issue of granting ST status to the Hattee community has been a focal point of contention between the Congress and the BJP, influencing political discourse during Assembly polls. The Hattees have persistently pursued ST status since 1967, notably when residents of adjacent areas in Jaunsar Bawar, now in Uttarakhand, received this recognition. As per the notification from the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Hattee refers to permanent residents of the Trans Giri area in Sirmaur district.