Hattee community reiterates demand for ST status

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Solan, February 26

Members of the Hattee community congregated at Shillai today for a mahakhumbli to demand the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Mahakhumbli is a meeting of the Hattee community of Sirmaur, organised to ponder upon a key issue. Successive state governments have been promising this status to the 133 panchayats of the trans-Giri area since decades. Though a move was initiated in 2016 by the Kendriya Hattee Samiti (KHS), it was rejected by the office of the Registrar General of India.

Being a key issue, which can swing votes, political leaders from both the BJP and the Congress made their presence felt at the mahakhumbli today.

BJP state president Suresh Kashyap, who has been pursuing the issue with the Union Government, assured the gathering that their deputation would soon meet the Tribal Affairs Minister as well as the Prime Minister and Home Minister to air the demand.

Kashyap had to face opposition from the gathering as representing the party in power, he was asked to justify the delay.

Shillai MLA Harshwardhan Chauhan, while addressing the gathering, vouched to even resign in support of the demand. He said Hattees had been unduly denied this status.

Renukaji MLA Vinay Kumar said they were proud of their cultural heritage and nearly three lakh people from 133 panchayats were united in this fight.

A large number of men were seen wearing traditional ‘loeya’ while women had ‘dathu’ draped around their heads, as a representation of their culture. Despite an inclement weather, a large number of people congregated at the PWD guesthouse for the community meet. The leaders asserted the need to continue their fight till their cause was met.