For thousands of sex workers in Sonagachi, Asia’s largest red-light district in central Kolkata, the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list has triggered fresh anxiety. Many of them say it is “practically impossible” to produce documents dating back to 2002 — documents the Election Commission requires for verification.
Seventeen days into the SIR process, three organisations working in Sonagachi submitted a letter to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal highlighting the unique challenges faced by sex workers. They pointed out that many women have kept their profession hidden from their families due to social stigma, making it difficult to obtain family-related documents. Others, especially young girls, have no information about their parents’ identities at all.
As debates around the issue gathered pace, the Election Commission responded. Sources confirmed that the CEO’s office is preparing to set up a special camp in the Sonagachi area. The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) will personally be present at the camp to hear individual grievances and recommend solutions so that sex workers do not lose their right to vote.
The demand for such an intervention has been growing. On Tuesday, another organisation approached the CEO’s office, reiterating that many women in Sonagachi cannot produce parental documents. Following discussions, the Commission agreed in principle to open a special camp dedicated to resolving these cases.
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In their letter, the three organisations proposed a three-point solution—the Commission should officially accept certain alternative identity documents for sex workers, a special camp should be held in Sonagachi to simplify corrections and form submissions under the SIR process, and existing voter cards of sex workers and their family members should not be cancelled under any circumstance.
The situation has also raised questions among sex workers themselves. Many of them already receive government benefits such as monthly direct bank transfers under Lakshmi Bhandar and widow’s allowance — schemes that require identity and citizenship verification. They ask why their citizenship is being questioned again despite being recognised beneficiaries.
Voluntary organisations working in the area say the rising uncertainty is worrying, as many women fear losing their voter identity due to circumstances they cannot control. Sex workers hope the newly planned camps will offer a practical solution. For those who cannot trace documents from 2002, the Commission’s move may finally ease a long-standing fear of being erased from official records.
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