The Himachal Pradesh High Court has issued an interim stay on the state government's notification granting tribal status to the Hatti community, barely three days after its issuance. The division bench, comprising Chief Justice MS Ramachandra Rao and Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua, expressed concerns over the perceived "manifest arbitrariness and glaring unconstitutionality in the impugned law" while addressing a series of petitions.
The government's notification, issued on Monday, conferred Scheduled Tribes status upon the Hatti community residing in the Transgiri area of Sirmaur district. In response, members of the community had been actively protesting, citing the government's alleged failure to implement the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order (Second Amendment) Act, 2023, which officially recognized them as Scheduled Tribes.
The court, in its interim order, acknowledged a balance of convenience in favor of the petitioners and noted the likelihood of irreparable harm if immediate relief was not granted. Consequently, the notification has been stayed until March 18. However, the high court clarified that these observations are provisional and won't impact the final decision.
