In the bustling streets of Bowbazar, where life is a blend of the old with the new, Keya Das (name changed) a sex worker in the red-light zone curiously listens to the election updates on her mobile that one of her flatmates has sent to her. Enjoying her tea in a bhand (earthen pot), Keya occasionally comments as the anchor reads out the news. “Elections happen but nothing changes,” she claims after finishing her tea. “Netas (leaders) come during polls with tall promises and then vanish after the results,” she adds.

Like Keya, other sex workers of Bowbazar are disillusioned about the largest exercise in democracy. As the poll season is almost nearing its end and nine Lok Sabha constituencies, including north Kolkata, of which Bowbazar is a part of, are headed for the crucial fight on 1 June. A section has silently decided the symbol on which they would press the button this Saturday.

Amidst the old, dilapidated structures dotting the narrow lanes and bylanes of the gold hub, two sex workers gazing nonchalantly at the enormous election banner, speak a few sentences after consistent persuasion. “What do we have to do with the tall talk of politics? I heard the name of Sandeshkhali for the first time. We have seen Delhi only on mobile. Our world revolves around this small place. Our votes will go to those who help us make our difficult life a little easy with whatever small things they can do for us.” The second one added, “True. Only women centric issues bother us, nothing else. The state government has helped secure voter I-cards and ration cards. Lakshmir Bhandar, even though a small amount, has helped us.”

According to a senior member of Durbar Mahila Samanwaya Committee that represents the sex workers of the area, there are over one lakh sex workers in the state. Of the total, around 80 per cent of them have got their documents done. This, as claimed by the members of the community, has helped the local sex workers get their free or subsidized ration from the ration cards.

According to one of the sex workers, the poll enthusiasm is negligible among the members of this section. The sex workers rued that their three demands have remained unfulfilled for years. The first one is the call to register their profession like any other under the labour department. The second one alleges misuse of certain sections of the Immoral Traffic Prevention Act like 3, 4 and 18, which creates difficulties for sex workers. The third one demands recognition of the self-regulatory board that curbs the reluctant women entering the profession. The sex workers claimed to have become disillusioned with the unfulfilled promises made by the political parties. “Our demands are yet to be discussed in the Parliament,” rued a sex worker.

“Political parties that do not consider our profession as dignified as any other works, would not be on our list,” she declared.