By TwoCircles.net News Desk,
New Delhi: From now on eunuchs or transsexuals will not be forced at least by the Election Commission of India to declare themselves as male or female. They will have liberty to indicate their sex as ‘Other’ where they do not want to be described as male or female. The ECI has made a decision to the effect today.
In the electoral rolls prepared by the Commission, the eunuchs were hitherto registered either as male or as female, on the basis of the statement made by the person concerned. This practice was being followed so far for indicating the sex of the eunuchs in the electoral roll.
The Commission has been receiving representations from various individuals and interest groups, including some students of the Law Faculty of KIIT, Bhubaneshwar, Orissa, when the Chief Election Commissioner of India was addressing the students, to include the eunuchs in the electoral rolls with an independent identity.
“The Commission has duly considered the request and has decided to allow eunuchs/transsexuals to indicate their sex as ‘Other’ where they do not want to be described as male or female,” ECI said in a statement today.
Besides the electoral roll, the decision also applies to all other Forms used by the Commission wherein the provisions of indication of sex of the elector is made, including IT based formats and website.
Necessary instructions have been issued to all Electoral Registration Officers through the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories to give effect to the above decision of the Commission.
Enumerators and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) shall be instructed to indicate the sex of eunuchs/ transsexuals etc. as ‘O’ if they so desire, while undertaking any house-to-house enumeration/verification of any application.