Himachal CM assures Hattee community of govt’s commitment to safeguard ST status

Representatives of the Hattee community from the trans-Giri region of Sirmaur district met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today under the leadership of Industries Minister Harshwardhan Chauhan, urging the state government to ensure the strongest legal representation in the high court to safeguard the Scheduled Tribe status accorded to the community recently.

In their memorandum, the community members recalled that on August 5, 2023, the Parliament and the President had approved the historic decision to grant the ST status to the community. The HP Government subsequently enforced the decision on January 1, 2024.

Soon after, some people from the region approached the high court expressing some grievances over the status being accorded to the Hattees. The Hattees underlined that the President’s approval was a recognition of the decades-long struggle to safeguard the unique social identity of the community.

The representatives expressed concern that the matter being pending before the high court was fanning anxiety among the community. They stressed that the state government had the responsibility of ensuring the best legal defence by engaging the country’s most experienced advocates and constitutional experts. They also urged that the historical, factual and constitutional background of the decision be placed firmly before the court and that the case be pursued as a top priority by the government.

Chauhan requested the CM that, if required, the state government should not hesitate in engaging the nation’s leading constitutional experts, including senior advocates of the Supreme Court, so that the matter can reach a decisive conclusion at the earliest.

CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu assured the Hattee representatives that the government remained committed to the principles of justice, equality and social inclusiveness. He affirmed that the government would safeguard the rights, dignity and recognition of the Hattee community.