The other vote

Amarjot Kaur

Branching out in clusters of homogeneous ‘communities’, which to the larger understanding of politicians are ‘vote banks’, the roots of democracy often comprise heterogeneous, fringe societies. With the recognition of transgender community as ‘third gender’ by Supreme Court in 2014, one would feel a ‘vote bank’ of sorts would have been created in Punjab as the state gears up to elect its next legislative assembly on February 4.

But that’s far from reality: Only 3.7 per cent transgenders in the state have enrolled as voters for the upcoming polls. Though there are 10,243 people of the ‘other’ sex in Punjab, but according to census 2011 only 380 have enrolled as voters, reveals data of the Punjab Election Office. So what has happened to the rest of the 96.3 per cent? 

Ifs & buts

Let’s say you go to a public toilet, we’ll compare this situation with gender options on voter-id forms. There’s a door that reads M (male), another door that reads F (female), and another one that reads O (others). 

“There’s an option called ‘others’. What do they mean by ‘others’,” asks Deepak Rana, CEO of Shaan Foundation, a Jalandhar-based NGO that works for the rights and health issues of LGBTQ.

Sumir aka Ritika Jain, the first transwoman nurse in Punjab, who works for Samarth Community Clinic, Jalandhar, which provides cost-free tests and health check-ups for the community, shares, “I am still a male on my voter card. My middle-class family would rather save face in society than support my gender choice. I am, however, willing to opt for others category, but I also fear harassment, like most transgenders do. I don’t like being taunted.”

Well, at least, that’s not the case with 21-year-old transgender Palak, a Dera inmate in Mohali, who shares that she does not have any other id proof, except an Aadhar card, where her gender is recognised as the third-gender. “No one comes here to give us our voter cards. At least, I don’t have one, I can’t say for the rest. How do we vote? Whom do we give our vote to? Do we even matter?” she says.

Dhananjay Chauhan, 46, a transwoman student at PU and founder of Saksham Trust, an NGO working for the rights and healthcare of LGBTQ, shares, “I am a transgender in my Aadhaar card. I wanted to get my sex changed on the voter ID to ‘others’. But after four months, not only did they change it to female; they also altered my birth date.”

Needs & necessities  

“We don’t even have separate toilets. Most people in our community are HIV positive, as we have multiple sexual partners but no companion because of Section 377 of the IPC,” says Rana, who identifies herself as a transwoman, but is still a male on her official documents. 

Ritika says, “Most of these HIV-positive transgenders are beaten and ostracised by deras and are, therefore, forced to beg.” Dhananjay, however, feels there is a need and want for a “national transgender welfare board”.

— [email protected]

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Personal choice

Punjab chief election officer VK Singh fills the 96.3 per cent difference of transgender voter enrolment as he shares, “Of what gender they choose on voter cards is an individual’s preference. Most of the times, transgenders don’t identify themselves as ‘others’ on their voter cards. Also, we have been running intensive exercises to give people voter IDs. If someone hasn’t received it, I shall take the authority to task. It is also an individual’s responsibility and duty to enrol as a voter.” —  VK Singh, Chief Election Officer, Punjab 

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On their manifesto?

We have considered the demands of sections of the society, but transgenders have not approached us; if they do, we will be happy to consider their demands too. If the current government feels that they require special benefits, why have they not provided them those benefits since the last 10 years? Transgenders deserve a rightful place in the society, and in ‘nava Punjab’ that we talk about. - Chandersuta Dogra, spokesperson, AAP

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We root for a progressive India and for dignity of life. Transgenders even in the USA are going through a similar situation, but we’ll definitely adopt positive steps towards the community.   - Sunil Jakhar, spokesperson, Congress

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The fact that only 3.7 per cent transgenders have enrolled as voters is worrisome and the reasons behind it need to be addressed too. In principle and practice, we consider it our duty to ensure that transgenders, like any other section of society, are entitled to special consideration so that they are able to live in dignity like the rest of us. Their being out of system is a loss. -Harcharan Bains, spokesperson and general secretary of SAD