• UGI USER
  • Dec 06, 2023
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DELAYS IN ISSUING ST CERTIFICATES SPARK HATTEE COMMUNITY OUTCRY

Issue in the News?

  • Months after the Hattee community in Himachal Pradesh’s received Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, frustration grows over the slow implementation of the new classification.
Source: Indian Express

Government Dilemma on ST List Inclusion:

  • As the Himachal Pradesh and Union governments deliberate on whether Hattees’ addition to the ST list includes those already classified as Scheduled Caste (SC), ambiguity persists.

About Hattee Community 

  • Background: Originating from the tradition of selling produce at local markets called ‘haat,’ the Hattees are a closely-knit community.
  • Geographical Presence: The Hattee homeland extends across the Himachal-Uttarakhand border, situated in the Giri and Tons river basin, both Yamuna tributaries.
  • Historical and Administrative Overview: Once part of the royal estate of Sirmaur, the Hattees in the trans-Giri area (Himachal Pradesh) and Jaunsar Bawar (Uttarakhand) separated in 1814.
  • Social Structure and Governance:
    • Governed by the ‘khumbli,’ a traditional council, the Hattees’ social structure resembles the ‘khaps’ in Haryana.
    • Inter-caste marriages are traditionally discouraged.
  • Demographics: As per the 2011 Census, the tribal population in Himachal Pradesh, including the Hattee community, constitutes 5.7% of the total state population (3,92,126 individuals).