Description

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Context:

The vibrant Boda Tyohar festival, the largest annual celebration for the Hatti tribes of the Trans-Giri region in Himachal Pradesh.

About Hatti Tribes

Aspect	Details
Name Origin	The Hattis derive their name from their traditional profession of selling crops, vegetables, meat, and wool in small markets called "haats."
Traditional Attire	Hatti men wear a distinctive white headdress on ceremonial occasions.
Homeland	The Hatti homeland straddles the Himachal Uttarakhand border, primarily in the Giri and Tons River basins, both tributaries of the Yamuna.
Key Regions	Trans Giri region of Sirmaur district, Himachal Pradesh Jaunsar Bawar region, Uttarakhand
Clans	Two main clans: Trans Giri Hattis (Himachal Pradesh) Jaunsar Bawar Hattis (Uttarakhand) Both clans share similar traditions, and intermarriage is common.
Traditional Governance	The community is governed by a traditional council called "khumbli," which handles the community's affairs.
Economy	Primary livelihood from agriculture, especially cash crops. Seasonal eco-tourism in regions like Kinnaur, Lahaul, and Spiti contributes to income.
Population	2011 Census: 2.5 lakh Estimated in 2023: Around 3 lakh
Scheduled Tribe Status	The Himachal Pradesh Hatti community was granted ST status in 2023. Jaunsar Bawar region of Uttarakhand was granted tribal status in 1967.

What are the new criteria for inclusion in the Scheduled Tribes List in India?

New criteria the government is considering include:
Socioeconomic, including educational, backwardness compared to the rest of the state's population;
Historical geographic isolation that may or may not exist today;
Another language/dialect;
The presence of a basic culture related to the life cycle, marriage, songs, dances, paintings, and folklore;
Endogamy, or in the case of exogamy, is a marital relationship primarily with other STs This criterion is for classifying a community as ST, not for determining the ST status of an individual.

The draft Cabinet note also suggested that communities that have adopted a "Hindu" way of life will not be ineligible solely on that ground.

Lokur Committee recommended considering the population of the new community in relation to the existing ST population in the state. It further added that all these criteria should be viewed holistically and none should take precedence over another.

READ ABOUT

Hatti Community

Hattee community inclusion in Himachal's ST list

Source:

cnbctv.18

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q.Consider the following statements regarding the Hatti tribes:

Harris people take their name from their traditional occupation of selling home-grown crops, vegetables, meat, and wool at small-town markets known as ‘haats’.
They live near the Himachal-Uttarakhand border area in the basin of the Giri and Tons rivers.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

A) 1 only

B) 2 only

C) Both 1 and 2

D) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: c

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: The Hattis are a close-knit community.

Harris people take their name from their traditional occupation of selling home-grown crops, vegetables, meat, and wool at small-town markets known as ‘haats’.

Hatti men traditionally dress in distinctive white headgear on ceremonial occasions.

Statement 2 is correct: In Himachal Pradesh, Hattis people live in 154 panchayat areas, and according to the 2011 census; members of the community are around 2.5 lakh.

The present-day population of the Hattis is around 3 lakh.

They live near the Himachal-Uttarakhand border area in the basin of the Giri and Tons rivers, both these rivers are tributaries of the Yamuna.

The Tons River marks the border between the two states.