Abandoned by family and ostracised in society, Kolkata transgenders are now faced with a new challenge — the loss of their voting rights — amid the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls ahead of the 2026 West Bengal polls.
“Because of the SIR [of the electoral rolls] queer and trans people like us are facing many problems and deep anxiety,” said a transman based in Kolkata. The anxiety is because this individual, like almost every other person from the community, has no contact with his biological family. They were forced to leave home, and birth certificates, if any, were burned. At the most they have an Adhaar card, which according to the Election Commission, is not proof of citizenship.
The Kolkatan further added, “If someone goes home now for SIR, their life can be at risk. I worry for my Muslim trans friends who left home long ago and only have Aadhaar. What will they do? I request the government to treat Aadhaar as a valid document for trans people who have nothing else, and to include the transgender identity card in the SIR process.”
Across West Bengal, such fear is growing as the SIR of the electoral rolls continues. For a community that has historically struggled for recognition, education, employment and safety, the possibility of being excluded from the voter list feels like another attempt to push them to the margins.
For a community that has historically struggled for recognition, the possibility of being excluded from the voter list feels like another attempt to push them to the margins Shutterstock
The SIR requires voters to prove their identity, origin and in many cases, parental legacy. For most trans and queer individuals, these demands collide with the realities of their lives. Many fled violent homes as teenagers, many were removed through crisis interventions, and many have been moving between shelters, rented rooms or pavements for years. Documents rarely survive these upheavals.
The anxiety is sharpened by recent history. In 2019, more than 2,000 trans women were left out of Assam’s National Register of Citizens (NRC). There was no data on trans men or queer women who disappeared from the list. Activists fear that communities already living without documentation are most at risk.
“Bihar was like a copy of the NRC in Assam. The most vulnerable were left out,” said trans rights activist Soham Basu. “The same thing is going to happen in West Bengal. Hundreds of queer trans people do not have proper documents. Their natal families never gave them anything. Many had their documents burned. Older documents do not match their current names or gender. Aadhaar is often the only thing they have, and the transgender ID card is not accepted in SIR.”
On the ground, the confusion is palpable. At Hooghly district’s Sheoraphuli, trans queer activist and daughter of a sex worker, Sintu Bagui, meets people every day who are unsure how to fill the forms. “Many left their homes years ago. They lost all their documents. They don’t know their voter part number or where their parents voted. When the form shows mismatches, they are asked for papers they do not have. They do not have a caste card, a residence bond or a birth certificate. How will they prove anything at the hearing?” Sintu said.
Sex workers, many of whom are trans women, face a similar crisis. Many have not returned home for decades Shutterstock
Sex workers, many of whom are trans women, face a similar crisis. Many have not returned home for decades. “One sex worker has not gone home for 25 or 30 years. How will she give any document? We think nothing will happen, but now we understand a lot can happen,” Sintu said.
Activists say the SIR could become a pathway to an NRC-like process. For queer and trans individuals, whose political rights have been won through a long and painful struggle, the threat of exclusion feels like erasure.
A collective is now planning a mass rally to demand that Aadhaar be treated as valid for those with no other documents and that the transgender identity card be accepted in the SIR process. As Soham said, “Just because a community is small does not mean the state should not care for it. A welfare state must understand why we are vulnerable.”
My Kolkata also tried reaching out to Shashi Panja, minister of Women and Child Development and Social Welfare of West Bengal, but she was not available to comment on the issue.