| Manu Bheel | |
| Native Name: | منو بھیل |
| Birth Date: | 1954 |
| Birth Place: | Tharparkar Sindh, Pakistan |
| Native Name Lang: | ur |
| Known: | Activism |
| Occupation: | Humanitarian |
| Spouse: | Motan (Kidnapped) |
Manu Bheel (Urdu : منو بھیل) (born 1954) was bonded laborer and human rights activist. Nine of his family were abducted in 1998.[1] He advocates for the rights of marginalized communities and bonded laborers in Pakistan. [2]
Manu Bheel was born to a poor Hindu Scheduled Caste agricultural laborer's family in the Tharparkar region of Sindh, Pakistan.[3] He, along with his family, was bonded to a landlord in Sanghar District before being freed through the intervention of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and community leaders [4]
After being freed from bonded labor in Sindh in 1996 through the intervention of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP),[5] Manu Bheel became involved in activism, focusing on the rights of marginalized communities. His advocacy efforts took a more personal turn in 1998,[6] when his family was kidnapped, an incident he attributed to his former landlord.[7]
In 2003, Manu began a hunger strike outside the Hyderabad Press Club,[8] aiming to draw attention to the disappearance of his family and the wider issue of bonded labour.[9] His protests gained national and international attention, including appeals from organizations such as Anti-Slavery International.[10]
The names and ages of the kidnapped family members of Manu Bheel, as claimed by him on February 4, 1998:[11]
| Sr. No | Name | Age | Relation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Khero | 70 | Father | |
| 2 | Akho | 60-65 | Mother | |
| 3 | Motan | 40 | Wife | |
| 4 | Jalal | 25 | Brother [12] | |
| 5 | Momal | 13 | Daughter | |
| 6 | Chaman | 10 | Son | |
| 7 | Kanjee | 8 | Son | |
| 8 | Dahnee | 1½ | Daughter | |
| 9 | Kirto | N/A | Family guest |