Haris (Sindh)

Haris () are landless Sindhi peasants in Sindh province of Pakistan.

In Sindh, a social class of people called Haris, who are farm workers, are enslaved to the land owners. The freedom of movement of Haris is restricticted by landowners, Waderas. Throughout Sindh, there is evidence that in some areas, children are born into a form of debt servitude, in which they are bound to forced labor by debts established by their ancestors that accrue from generation to generation. Haris are fully enveloped in feudal exploitation by the Waderas. They had no way to safeguard their own right. The Waderas control local government, police and elected officials and the rights of Haris are not protected. The Haris are made to undergo tremendous hardship and suffer great humiliation. The Taqavi loan had been taken by Haris which had subverted them to the Waderas.

The Haris are GeneRally believed to be the descendants of indigenous Dravidian populations that were enslaved by various invading people. Many are still living under abject poverty and in slave like conditions in rural Sindh, because of the benign neglect and only nominal efforts by the government to improve the situation. Majority of Haris are Muslims while some are nominally Hindus. Many Muslim Haris have moved on as artisans and wage laborers.