Jalpaiguri: Many residents of Tinpara won’t vote owing to lack of identification docu

Jalpaiguri: July 8 will be just like any other day for Asha, Malati, Durga (all names are changed) and many others like them who won’t be able to return home to cast their votes.

The lack of proper identification documents has robbed them of this important right. However, the district administration is taking necessary steps to get things back on track for them.

Menoka and Malati are residents of the red light area Tinpara adjacent to Dinbazar in Ward 4 of the Jalpaiguri Municipality. There are 700 residents in Tinpara among them around 400 are original residents.

The remaining have ended up in the red light area, mainly victims of human trafficking. Many of the sex workers do not have identification documents including EPI (voter card) Many of them are from different districts of the state and some from different states.

The ones who have identification documents, including Aadhaar and EPIC, return home to cast their votes.

“I was trafficked from a village in Burdwan when I was a minor. When I became an adult I had once returned to my village but owing to social stigma could not go home. I met the Panchayat members then and requested them to include my name in the voter list. However, this was not possible as I did not have the requisite documents,” stated Malati.

“Last year we had a special camp jointly with the district administration to enlist the names of some of the sex workers in the voters’ list. However, many could not get enlisted owing to the lack of requisite documents. Their number is around 100,” stated Sarita Prasad Shah, Municipal Councillor of the ward.

“We are deprived of so many good things in life. We are ostracised for no fault of ours. At least we should not be deprived of this important right. We want our villages to develop and for that, we want to exercise our right to vote to choose the candidates of our preference. We appeal to the Government to look into the matter and resolve this issue,” appealed Asha.

“I have a Madhyamik certificate. During the last Assembly elections, I had tried to enlist my name. However, it was not enlisted,” stated Durga from Mathabhanga.

The Jalpaiguri district administration has assured us to do the needful. “We had organised a camp and enlisted some of the residents. They were then issued EPIC. For those who haven’t been enlisted yet, we will conduct a survey and take necessary steps,” stated Vivek Bhasme, Additional District Magistrate (General) Jalpaiguri.