'All rights of Scheduled Caste will be protected'

Shimla: The Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Thursday dispelled apprehensions about the Scheduled Caste Community in the Trans-Giri area of Sirmaur losing the benefits granted to them under the Constitution in wake of grant of tribal status Hatti tribe.

The Union cabinet, just a day before, had taken a historic decision to declare the Hatti community as tribals—meeting a long pending demand of a population of nearly two lakhs people, who had come to Himachal Pradesh before 1967.

Their community living in Jaunsar Bawar area of Uttarakhand already enjoys the tribal status.

The decision, which will benefit the BJP in improving its poll prospects in Sirmaur district has come after an assurance to this effect having already been given by union home minister Amit Shah, during 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The Narikoravan and Kurivikkaran hill tribes of Tamil Nadu and the Binjhia in Chhattisgarh, who were listed as ST in Jharkhand and Odisha but not in Chhattisgarh, were the communities newly added to the list as per decision of the union cabinet.

Speaking to media persons, to hail the centre's move, the Chief Minister said nearly a population of 1.60 lakhs in three assembly constituencies of Shillai, Paonta Sahib and Pacchad will be benefited in total 154 panchayats.

Similarly a population of 91,446 of Scheduled Caste Community have been taken out of the scope of the tribal status. They will continue to get all benefits granted to them as per Constitution.

He admitted that right now only the Hatti community have been given the status. There is a separate process to be followed to declare the area of Trans-Giri as tribal.

Thakur admitted that a similar demand has come from several other areas including Chopal(Shimla) Malana (Kullu), Dodra Kawar (Shimla) and Bara Bhangal (Kangra). This matter was being taken-up separately.

The state government, after receiving several representations from the community, had recommended its case in 2016 to the Central government on the basis of a study conducted by the Institute of Tribal Studies, Shimla.

The Chief Minister gave chronology of the events that followed to the grant of tribal status after he took over as Chief Minister.