Hatti community caught in official rigmarole

A DISTINCT:Their quaint traditions and secluded yet simple lifestyle, steeped in ancient traditions, may have helped in retaining their age-old unique culture, but it has denied the Hatti Community, residing in the 133 panchayats of the trans-Giri area of Sirmaur, a Scheduled Caste (ST) status.

Ambika Sharma

Their quaint traditions and secluded yet simple lifestyle, steeped in ancient traditions, may have helped in retaining their age-old unique culture, but it has denied the Hatti Community, residing in the 133 panchayats of the trans-Giri area of Sirmaur, a Scheduled Caste (ST) status.

The issue assumes centre stage each time around the elections as both the Congress and the BJP try to exploit it to the hilt. While the BJP’s then national president Rajnath Singh had promised to grant the Hattis this coveted status while addressing a poll rally during 2014 Lok Sabha election, the promise of granting this status has also been raised by the Congress in successive elections.

After years of repeated petitioning by the representatives of this community, the state government had submitted its recommendations to the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs in August 2016 on the basis of a study conducted by the Tribal Affairs Institute, Shimla. This had given the 2,51,657 residents of 133 panchayats some hope, as they comprise 0.20 per cent of the population.

The Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur district was part of the erstwhile Jaunsar Bawar area of Uttarakhand, where the Hatti community was granted the ST status way back in 1967. Both areas were part of the royal erstwhile Sirmaur state though Jaunsar Bawar area separated in 1815. Even today, marriages between the two clans are common, as they share a host of similarities in their culture. Resting their claim on the ST status granted to the Hatti community of Jaunsar Bawar area, the people of the Trans-Giri area have been vociferously raising their demand for the same status.

The demand stems from a report of the SC ST Commission pertaining to 1980.

Separated by the Tons River, the Trans-Giri area represents the socio-economic and socio-educational divide between the people residing across the river. While a number of civil servants and bank officials have emerged from the neighbouring area, people here were still living a life of hardship and toil. Monkey menace, too, has in the recent years taken a toll on agriculture, which is their major avocation though the size of the land holding and the subsequent income has shrunk over the years. A large chunk of the population has engaged as labourers to eke out a living and many people even work at various tunnel projects across the state, which offer better avenues.

A distinct, shy community

Age-old traditions such as animal sacrifice, folk dances like barada nati and harul raso to celebrate various festive occasions and unique attire — Thalka or Lohiya — not only make them a distinct community, but also one where modernisation is yet to sink in.

Still dwelling on age-old traditions like “roti beti rishta” and “dai chara bhai chara” the Hatti communities from Uttarakhand and Trans-Giri are close knit communities, which were yet to open out much to the outside world. So stark were the similarities that even the names of some villages were similar, said Kundan Shashtri, general secretary, Kendriya Hattee Samiti, which has been spearheading the campaign to seek this key status.

ST status will bring in funds for development

The ST status would bring in ample funds as dedicated funds are allocated under the tribal sub-plan and crucial institutions would be opened in the area besides bringing reservation even in the all-India services to the youth. This will give the much-needed impetus to employment and bring in prosperity in the area.

Various parameters such as primitive culture existing in the Trans-Giri area, its isolated geographical location, shyness to contact with the outside world, presence of a distinct culture and socio-economic and educationally backwardness have been taken into account while preparing this report.

Led by Shimla MP Virender Kashyap, they also reminded Home Minister Rajnath Singh of his poll promise made during an election rally in the last Lok Sabha election.

The issue has, however, been caught in an official rigmarole and the file has been doing rounds from one office to another though the Hattis have not lost hope. The clamour to be included in the same list has grown over the years, as both areas were part of the royal Sirmaur state. Age-old traditions such as animal sacrifice, folk dances and their unique attire make them a distinct community, which is yet to embrace modernisation.

Shastri said the Tribal Affairs Institute had submitted an in-depth report on the basis of Locur Commission on August 2, 2016, and after passing a resolution supporting this status to the Hattis, the state government had sent it to the Union government the very next day. The Home Ministry’s Registrar General of India, which was supposed to notify it, however, raised three queries, which included panchayat-wise population of the people of the Trans-Giri area, geographical map of the trans-Giri and its adjoining area in Jaunsar Bawar and a recommendation from the Governor.

He said these requirements were made available to the authorities by the state government, but it was lamentable that the authorities were still dilly-dallying over the issue and they had failed to get the ST status notified despite lapse of more than two-and-a-half years.

Lamenting the lax attitude of the Union government, Shastri said it would be difficult to retain the age-old traditions and culture of this area if they did not get this special status. He asked all political parties to clarify their stand on this issue and not indulge in poll gimmicks, which merely befool people. He said they have not given up hope and would also meet the new Union government to raise the issue again and if required, they would not desist from knocking the doors of the court to press for their demand.

It was in December 2011, when a delegation of elected representatives led by MP Lok Sabha Virender Kashyap met the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh along with members of the Hatti community over this issue. A report was then sought by the Union government over their claim, following which the state government entrusted the task to the Himachal Pradesh University to conduct a study and present its report. It took nearly three-and-a-half years to finalise the report, which was submitted by the Tribal Affairs Institute. The then Congress government, however, did not evince much interest in submitting its report to the Centre and the issue kept on hanging till August 2016.

MP Virender Kashyap, who was keen to address this issue, raked up this issue on several occasions in the Lok Sabha and also met the Prime Minister as well as Home Minister Rajnath Singh besides the Tribal Minister to speed up the issue.

In a letter dated October 24, 2018, the ministry directed the state government to submit a fresh proposal after conducting a full-fledged ethnographic study as the earlier proposal was rejected by the Office of the Registrar General of India (ORGI) as per Clause (f) of the approved modalities.

The letter stated that the issue of inclusion of the Hatti community in the list of the Scheduled Tribes of Himachal Pradesh has been examined several times by the ORGI, but it has not concurred with the proposal.

The Home Minister had also held a meeting with the Minister of Tribal Affairs to push for this status, but it was found that the details pertaining to the Hatti community provided in the ethnographic report were not sufficient.

Kashyap revealed that the ORGI averred that the region could not be declared tribal. Though Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti and Bharmaur area in Himachal and Jaunsar Bawar area of Uttarakhand have been declared ST areas but the ORGI was not convinced about the Trans-Giri area, failing which the issue failed to be addressed.

He said in a last ditch effort, a letter was also written by Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to the Home Minister, where he was reminded that the state government was trying to fulfil all their poll promises and even this key issue should be aptly addressed.

Besides, the Chief Minister as well as MP Virender Kashyap met Home Minister Rajnath Singh and explained to him how ORGI had raised an objection. An assurance was extended by the Home Minister to speed up the matter, but since it involves a constitutional amendment following a recommendation by ORGI, the tedious process failed to be completed.

Once the ORGI gives a positive recommendation, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs will have to propose an act for making the due constitutional amendment, which would have to be discussed in both houses of the Parliament.

Fed up with the political gimmicks, the Hattis feel the issue has merely become a political issue which comes handy whenever there is an election and feel politicians have failed to deliver though they do give some brownie points to the BJP for airing the issue at the national level as even that had failed to happen in the past.

Suresh Kashyap, who is BJP’s nominee for the Shimla Lok Sabha seat has already committed that since he hails from the area, he was well-versed with the sentiments of the Hattis and would pled this case once the BJP returns to power at the Centre.

Whatever be the poll results, the issue was sure to haunt the winning MP from Shimla as the Hattis have made it a mission to attain their due either by suitable representation before the Central authorities after the poll or by petition before the court. It remains to be seen where this fight for the ST status will lead now, as in the Trans-Giri area, this is definitely the number one issue in the poll season.

133 panchayats to benefit

As per the proposal submitted to the Tribal Affairs Ministry, 133 panchayats will be benefitted by the grant of ST status including 31 from Rajgarh tehsil, 27 of Renuka, 14 of Nohra, 12 of Ronhat, 17 of Shillai, 13 of Paonta Sahib and 19 of Kamrau. A maximum of 140 villages comprising the trans-Giri area fall in the Rajgarh tehsil of Sirmaur district. Out of the 389 villages comprising the trans-Giri area, as many as 388 are rural hamlets, while mere one comprise an urban village. The Trans-Giri area has a population of 2,51,657, where the quantum of ST population is 0.20 per cent.

Trans-Giri villages proposed as ST area