Shimla . Himachal Pradesh is witnessing a silent revolution resonating with traditional dress and folklore to secure Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to the nearly 300,000 lakh people settled in Sirmaur. Like their counterparts settled in Uttarakhand, one of the country’s most backward districts, the demand is gaining momentum as the state assembly elections approach.
Leaders under the banner of Hatti Sangharsh Samiti lament that both the traditional national parties that govern the state at large – the BJP and the Congress – have fooled them by promising them an action plan to give them tribal status, The demand for which has been pending for more than five decades.
The ruling BJP in the state has mentioned giving ST status to Hattis in its election manifesto to the Assembly in 2009 and to the Lok Sabha in 2014.
The Hatties are mainly concentrated in 144 panchayats except the Trans-Giri region (Giripar), which is part of the Shimla (reserved) parliamentary seat, and are fighting for special category status on the lines of residents of Jaunsar-Bawar.
Previously, the Trans-Giri and Jaunsar-Bawar regions were part of the erstwhile Sirmaur princely state. Despite the Jaunsar-Bawar region being separated from the princely state in 1815, the marriages between the two clans still share cultural similarities.
Amichand Kamal, head of the central committee of the Hatti community, told -AnyTV News that the demand was pending since 1979.
He believes that granting ST status will help bring people into the mainstream and ensure a special budget for the region.
It is the Tons river that separates the Hatti community from others in the state. The local people still follow age-old traditions like animal sacrifice and unique fairs and festivals like Budhi Diwali, the festival of lights.
The region is one of the major ginger belts of the country, accounting for 55 per cent of the state’s total plantation, mainly in Paonta Sahib and Sangra tehsils.
Ramesh Singta, chief advisor of Sirmour Hatti Vikas Manch, told -AnyTV News on Sunday that the day is not far when our revolution will remain so silent, it will resonate in the top circles of politics.
—AnyTV News
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