Context: The Centre government is considering granting “tribal” status to the Trans-Giri region of Himachal Pradesh’s Sirmaur district.

• The demand to declare Trans-Giri a tribal area is old and is tied up with the demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Hatti community which lives in the area.

Hatti community

• They live in the Himachal-Uttarakhand border in the basin of the Giri and Tons rivers.

• Tons river marks the border between Himachal and Uttarakhand.

• It is a close-knit community who take their name from their traditional occupation of selling home-grown crops, vegetables, meat at small-town markets known as ‘Haats’.

• Hatti men traditionally wear a distinctive white headgear on ceremonial occasions.

• The Hattis are governed by a traditional council called ‘khumbli’.

• Khumbli is like ‘khaps’ of Haryana, decide community matters.

• They are two main clans of the Hatti community: Hattis living in the i) Trans-Giri area of Himachal Pradesh and ii) Jaunsar Bawar in Uttarakhand.

• Both were once part of the royal estate of Sirmaur.

• Both clans have similar traditions, and inter-marriages are common.

• They have a fairly rigid caste system: Bhat and Khash are upper castes, and the Badhois are below them, and inter-caste marriages have traditionally been discouraged.

• Their population is 2.5 lakh in the 2011 Census.

• The present population is estimated at around 3 lakhs.

Tribal Areas
Constitution provides for two types of areas:

• i) Scheduled Areas in terms of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution, and

• ii) Tribal Areas in terms of Sixth Schedule under Article 244 (2).

Criteria for the declaration of the Scheduled Area under Fifth schedule

• Preponderance of tribal population

• Compactness and reasonable size of the area

• A viable administrative entity such as a district, block or taluk

• Economic backwardness of the area as compared to neighbouring areas.

Demand for Tribal Status by Hattis

• Hattis (those living in Trans-Giri area of Himachal Pradesh) have been demanding ST status since 1967, when tribal status was accorded to another clan of Hattis which is in Jaunsar Bawar in Uttarakhand.

Requirement for ST status

• Criteria are not spelt out in the Constitution.

However, by government orders following criteria are followed

• Indications of primitive traits

• Distinctive culture

• Geographical isolation

• Shyness of contact with the community at large

• Backwardness

Constitution gives President power to specify ST in various states and UTs and Parliament to amend this list.

Key Facts

• Scheduled Tribes in Himachal Pradesh includes Gaddis, Gujjars, Kinnaras (Kinnauras), Lahaulas, Pangwalas etc.

• The bulk of the tribal population lives in remote, high-altitude areas in the districts of Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, and Chamba.

• The tribal population of the state Himachal Pradesh 3.92 lakh (about 6% of the total) in 2011.