EC to organise special camps for sex workers in Kolkata's Sonagachi during SIR exercise

by IANS |

Kolkata, Dec 5 (IANS) The Election Commission will organise a special camp in Sonagachi on December 9 to protect the civil rights of sex workers during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Sources in the Election Commission said on Saturday that the decision to hold a special camp there was taken after Durbar, a voluntary organisation working with sex workers and their children, wrote a letter to the poll panel informing about the serious problems faced by such workers while filling up enumeration forms.

Bishakha Laskar, president of Durbar Women Coordination Committee, said, "We spoke to the District Election Officer (DEO) and Election Registration Officer (ERO) on Friday. They said that three camps will be organised in wards 18 and 26. The officials will check whether any names of sex workers are missing or whether the enumeration form has been filled correctly."

She further said, "In 2002, the women here got the right to vote for the first time due to Durbar's initiative. As a result, although some have their names on the voter list, many do not. It is not possible for a woman, who has left home for this profession, to obtain documents of her parents. Therefore, we demand that the names of all sex workers be included in the SIR. And that the commission should make arrangements to include the names of their children as well."

Meanwhile, it has been informed by the DEO that this special camp related to enumeration forms will be organised in two wards of Sonagachi, in north Kolkata on December 9. Poll panel officials will listen to the problems of sex workers in these camps, which falls under the 166-Shyampukur Assembly constituency and will provide assistance.

She also mentioned a Supreme Court verdict to help the sex workers enjoy their civil rights.

She said, "In the Supreme Court verdict of 2022, it was said that citizenship should be given without making our profession public. Similarly, the names of those whose names are not yet in the voter list should be included. The Election Commission should also see that the children of sex workers are not deprived."