Pune civic polls: 20,000 'citizens' will not vote

At least 20,000 citizens will not be able to vote when Pune goes to the polls on February 16. Commercial sex workers (CSWs), eunuchs and the homeless will not be able to mark their fingers with indelible ink for want of ID and address proof.

The voters’ list does not carry their names as they do not have documents to prove their residence.

Though a recent government decision allows eunuchs to choose their own gender on voting polls, many  are yet to use the right.

Anita (45), who represents some 5,000 CSWs, has been living in the red light area of Budhwar Peth for three decades.  She does not have a ration card or election ID card.

“We have been deprived of our identity and franchise. We can’t vote either here or at our hometowns as we do not have proofs. Even if the administration decides to give us identity or ration cards, I would not like those cards to show my Budhwar Peth address as it would affect my children,” she said.

Pinkey (30), one of the 12,500 eunuchs in the city, including 250 who are CSWs, faces a similar ‘identity crisis’.

Living in the city for 16 years, Pinkey said, “We need the voter’s identity card. Our entire life revolves around only two genders and we belong to neither of them. We are not allowed to use public toilets meant for women and  men. If we are shown as female in the identity card, we would be able to use women’s loos.”

Shivaji Kale (40) is not a voter as he shares the footpath outside Congress Bhavan with 100 others. There are about 5,000 homeless in the city. “I am living in this city for the last 20 years along with my family selling flowers,” he said.

(Names are changed to
protect identity)