Hatti Community: Himachal Pradesh

25 Jul 2022 Hatti Community: Himachal Pradesh

Posted at 10:48h in Daily current-affairs by khyati khare 0 Comments

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Recently, the central government is considering giving tribal status to Hatti community of Tan-Giri area of Sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh.

The Hatti are a close-knit community, which got its name from the tradition of selling domestic vegetables, crops, meat and wool, etc., in small markets called ‘Haats’ in towns.
Men in the Hatti community usually wear a distinctive white cap during ceremonies.
This community is divided from Sirmaur by two rivers named Giri and Tons.
Tons divide it from Jaunsar Bawar region of Uttarakhand. The Hindu Analysis
The Hatti living in the Trans-Giri region of Uttarakhand and Jaunsar Bawar were once part of the royal princely state of Sirmaur until the separation of the Jaunsar Bawar region in the year 1815.
Trans-Giri and Jaunsar Bawar share similar traditions and inter-caste marriages are common.
There is a rigid caste system among the Hatti communities – Bhat and Khash are upper castes, while Badhoi are lower castes. Interracial marriages are no longer traditionally strict.
The Hatti community is governed by a traditional council called ‘Khumbali’, which looks after community affairs like the Khap Panchayats of Haryana. The Hindu Analysis
Despite the establishment of Panchayati Raj system, the power of Khumbali has not been challenged.
He has a good presence in about nine assembly seats in Sirmaur and Shimla regions.
According to the 2011 Census of India, the total tribal population of Himachal Pradesh is 3,92,126, which is 5.7% of the total population of the state.

They have been demanding Scheduled Tribe status since 1967, when tribal status was given to people living in Jaunsar Bawar in Uttarakhand, which borders Sirmaur district.

The Hattis living in the Kamrau, Sangra and Shillai regions of Himachal Pradesh have been left behind in both education and employment due to topographical loss.

As per the 1931 Census, Scheduled Tribes are called “Backward Tribes” living in “Excluded” and “Partly Excluded” areas. The Government of India Act of 1935 called for the first time representatives of “backward tribes” in the provincial assemblies.
The Constitution does not define the criteria for recognition of Scheduled Tribes, so the definition contained in the 1931 Census was used in the early years after independence.
However, Article 366 (25) of the Constitution provides for the procedure for defining Scheduled Tribes only: “Scheduled Tribes” means such tribes or tribal communities or parts or groups of tribes or tribal communities as defined under Article 342 of the Constitution. The Hindu Analysis
342(1): The President shall, in relation to any State or Union territory, when, in relation to a State, by public notification after consultation with the Governor, tribes or tribal communities or parts of tribes or tribal communities in relation to that State or Union territory may designate groups within.
There are more than 705 tribes which have been notified. The largest number of tribal communities are found in Odisha.
The Fifth Schedule of the Constitution makes provisions for the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.
The Sixth Schedule deals with the administration of tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram.

Protection of Civil Rights against Untouchability Act, 1955
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989
Provisions of Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006.