‘Social stigma, family disconnect‘: Transgender community in Bengal apprehensive over losing voting rights in SIR

SIR drive, according to activists, though, is aimed at inclusivity; it fails to address the unique barriers confronting the transgender community. It has raised serious concerns over the challenges faced by transgender individuals in updating their identity details.

Transgender rights activist Sinha points out that transgender individuals who are living on the streets or working in the informal economy are often excluded from the SIR process due to their lack of stable addresses and formal identification. “How can they participate in the SIR process when they have no official records or addresses?” she asks.

According to Sinha, one of the most significant obstacles is the mismatch between transgender individuals’ current gender identity and the outdated information in official documents. Many were registered as male or female in the 2002 voter list but have since transitioned, leaving them unable to update their gender or name in government records.

“Despite transitioning, their records continue to reflect outdated information, creating significant hurdles in the enumeration process,” she explains.

Atanu Giri, 21, a transperson from Chandannagar, says that they did not know what SIR was or its importance. “I only have my Aadhaar and PAN cards with me and nothing else. For us, our main identity is through the TG (transgender) Card. I have applied for it, but I have not received any verification call,” says Giri, who lives in a shelter home after being refused to be accepted by family members.

“My name will not be in the 2002 list. How will I get the form? I have no communication, and I have not received any call from family on this matter,” Giri shares.

‘Getting enumeration form, a big challenge’
Transgender people say that the main challenge is to get the enumeration form, as in most cases, the forms are given at the residential address, and the families do not inform them.

“Most of us have left our homes, but the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will give the forms to the family members, who, in turn, do not inform them. Even if we take out the 2002 voter list and get their parents’ EPIC numbers, the form is still a must. Even if we try to fill out the form online, the issue is that the voter card and the mobile phone number have to be linked with the Aadhaar. If there are two different spellings of the same name, then it is not being accepted. It’s very problematic,” said Sujit (name changed for anonymity), a transgender person.

Shikha, who has gone through all the medical procedures to become a woman, is also apprehensive about her future.

“I don’t have any contact with my family. So I do not know if the BLO had come or not. I have my voter card in my previous name, and today I am Shikha. How will it match? The only identity card that I require is the TG card. I am waiting for it after all the procedures and verifications. Most likely, I will lose my voting rights.” Shikha tells The Indian Express.

“I don’t know what the future holds, will I be sent to jail or detention centre because of SIR?“ the transwoman says.

Sinha states that social stigma and family rejection often prevent transgender individuals from accessing essential documentation needed for the SIR process. “Many transgender individuals are not accepted by their families because of the stigma surrounding gender transition. This leads to a lack of documentation, making it difficult for them to complete the SIR process,” she says.

Transgender activists say that before implementing SIR, the government should have thought of the marginalised communities also. Sinha points out that SIR does not fully cater to the needs of the transgender community. She recalls the 2014 Supreme Court ruling that recognised transgender people as citizens with equal voting rights, but stressed that legal recognition alone is not enough.

“We welcome the SIR, but then whenever any change happens, the worst affected are the marginalised sections of society,” said a transman based in Kolkata.

Sinha points out that while ordinary people have been granted voting rights long back, the lack of proper documentation and the social stigma attached to transgender community hinder the success of the democratic process,” she said.