The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to include voters from three “aboriginal tribes” or “primitive tribes” in the final voters’ list of West Bengal without the need for any supporting documents. These tribes, namely Birhor, Toto, and Sabar, will be automatically enlisted. District authorities have been instructed to provide voter details of these communities without requiring any additional documentation. If any voter from these tribes lacks a scheduled tribe certificate, the district administration will issue one on an emergency basis.
The ECI has also announced special relaxations for sex workers, transgender individuals, and monks during the ongoing hearing sessions on the draft voters’ list in West Bengal. The Commission will not be strict about the authenticity of identity documents for these groups, considering their social status and lack of original documents. People from the transgender community face challenges such as name, look, and gender mismatches in their documents, while monks may have name discrepancies due to their life before and after monkhood.
