Popular images and scholarly analysis of Gaddis almost always focus on those living in Himachal Pradesh. Most Gaddis live in Bharmour, the tribal-reserved area of Chamba, with a migratory contingent settled in Kangra. Many differences resonate between Gaddis living in their tribal homeland and in Kangra—most politically salient, their distinct histories of tribal classification and the ongoing disenfranchisement of Scheduled Caste (SC) Gaddis from tribal recognition in Kangra. This article examines one such SC group, Sippis, who have three political classifications (SC, ST, STO) based on locality and are actively petitioning for a fourth category (STD). I focus on the experiences of Sippis in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), where the state government classifies Sippis as an independent tribe culturally allied but juridically distinct from Gaddis. I show how reservation categories and ethnoreligious Othering have redrawn aspects of Gaddi sociality and created novel conditions for tribal Dalit belonging.
https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/ijsas/12/0/12_1011/_pdf/-char/ja