Where Are Our Voter IDs: Plight of Trans Voters This 2019 Polls

Video Editor: Purnendu Pritam

Ramkali, Mannat, Dhani and thousands like them have tried to procure an Aadhaar card or a voter ID but the struggle of changing their gender on their IDs has by far been difficult due to a lot of paperwork and mockery meted out to them by election booth officials.

In 2014, the Election Commission recognised transgender people as a separate sex in the electoral roll. The third gender will legally cast their vote for the second time in 2019.

This election season, transgender people, who will be casting their vote only for the second time speak to The Quint’s My Vote Chaupal about their voting rights, difficulties they face while acquiring voter IDs and their plight as voters.

Many trans people vote but they are identified as ‘male’ in their IDs and that’s why they don’t get counted or recognised as transgender (on the electoral roll). This is why even after five years of the NALSA* , transgenders don’t have equal rights, said one of the trans persons who didn’t wish to be named.

*National Legal Service Authority filed a petition after which the Supreme Court in August 2015 created the third gender so that the transgender people would no longer have to compulsorily term themselves as ‘male’ or ‘female’ in order to get benefits of some of the government schemes.

In 2014, as per the Election Commission report, electoral roll saw registrations of 28,527 trans people of which only 1,968 voted, which was less than 10% of the total electoral roll.

Upon asking whether they have tried to acquire a voter ID which identifies them as a trans person, Mannat responds disappointingly:

I have tried a lot, but they don’t identify me as a trans person and there is no ID for us. They keep asking us for ‘psychology’ certificates (submitted as proof of identity) and proof of us being trans people – proof of rent or an affidavit, etc. Where do we bring all this from? Had I been so educated, I’d have done something.

Mannat

Is Trans Community a Vote Bank?

They request us, fold their hands and touch our feet, asking us to pray for them. But later, they shoo us away, saying that we are ‘hijras’.

Mannat

Yes, they keep saying that they will fix everything – ‘We will give employment’ or ‘we’ll help you with policies’, ‘provide houses’ – but nothing happens. 

Mehak

Will Political Representation Help the Trans Community?

Many political parties have given tickets to trans people this election but the transgender community feels it is going to do no good because the appointment is for political purposes and to gain trans votes.

It was just to gain attention and show that they have (political parties) recruited someone from the transgender community in their party (Congress). That’s it. Waving the transgender flag is only for ‘show’. They think that can lure us to vote for them. They think, we will believe that the BJP ignored us but the Congress accepted us. This is their way to make us feel that the Congress is a good party. I will trust the government when it makes employment for a trans person compulsory. What’s the guarantee that the government will work for us? So, why should we go and vote? I hope nobody from the transgender community goes to vote.

Said one of the trans person who didn’t wish to be named

From 2014 to 2019, the increase in the electoral roll for the trans community has been around 10,000 to 15,000 and there could be multiple reasons for it.

“Documents and ID cards are of no use to us. Why do we care? Why do we go out to vote?” Ramkali adds: “Trans people do not go out to vote because of unsatisfactory response from authorities towards the cause of the trans community.”

I would just like to say, there is no point in beating around the bush. The government must change. If they aim to work for us, they must implement what they promise to us too.

Mona