In a first-of-its-kind outreach, the Election Commission organised a special voter registration camp for sex workers in Kolkata’s Sonagachi, one of Asia’s largest red-light districts, after rising anxiety over the newly introduced Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
More than 800 sex workers attended the camp at three locations, Rambagan, Kadamtala Club and Sheetlamandir, to raise concerns about documentation hurdles and potential exclusion from the voter rolls.
State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal personally visited the camp, signalling the Commission’s seriousness in ensuring that sex workers’ voting rights are protected. Officials confirmed that 210 applicants submitted Form 6, 51 submitted Form 8, and 12 filled out enumeration forms.
Many participants, however, reported long-standing difficulties in securing proper documents, an issue that organisations working in Sonagachi say has persisted for decades.
Mahasweta Mukherjee of Amra Padatik, which advocates for sex workers and their children, said the women were initially alarmed by the SIR process. “Our workers were very anxious after they heard about this SIR. But after speaking to the Election Commission, a special session has been arranged here. We hope everyone gets their voting rights,” she said.
The Election Commission will hold similar camps in Kalighat and Khidirpur on Wednesday to assist more sex workers struggling with paperwork.
West Bengal’s Minister for Women and Child Development, Dr Shashi Panja, welcomed the initiative, saying, “We must think about them. It is our responsibility, as well as the Commission’s, to hold such camps and ensure these workers are not left out.”
The move came after Amra Padatik and two other groups wrote to the Commission flagging widespread documentation problems. Officials reportedly told them that similar challenges exist in sex-worker settlements in Bihar, but no local organisations have yet raised the issue there.
One sex worker, who has lived in Sonagachi for 15 years, said, “We were very tense before this. But we also have families. We are citizens of India. This initiative gives us hope.”
Home to nearly 10,000 sex workers and thousands of daily visitors, Sonagachi has long faced bureaucratic barriers. While many residents possess voter ID cards, organisations estimate that hundreds still lack proper documents, especially those who migrated to the district after 2002.
– Ends
Published By:
Sonali Verma
Published On:
Dec 10, 2025
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