Disabled activist and advocate for disabled asylum seekers, Manjeet Kaur has died on Saturday 25th April in Manchester.
Manjeet was involved in many campaigns around the country. Ellen Clifford from DPAC recalls “the first time I met Manjeet was at a national anti-bedroom tax conference in London. She had come down with campaign groups from the greater Manchester area which were notably led by disabled women. Her quiet strength, her resolute, kind spirit and her sparkle were immediately apparent. She leaves behind an enormous hole in the fight for social justice and in our hearts.”
Rebecca Yeo of Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC) spoke about her friend: “She contributed so much and taught me things that I will never forget. She became a good friend who I could talk to about whatever was happening. Her warmth, commitment and solidarity led her to make strong connections with people from a wide range of backgrounds in different parts of the country.
Dennis Queen of Manchester DPAC explains, “Manjeet made alliances that were new here, and we have a lot to thank her for. We pledge to continue Manjeet’s work, and honour her memory, by maintaining and growing the links between Disabled People’s Organisations and asylum seekers groups in Manchester.”
After her daughter, Naysa, was born in 2015, Manjeet cut back on travelling to different parts of the country. Her priority was to be with her wonderful, fun-loving and vivacious daughter. She made an exception for an event in Bristol in 2018, bringing together the disabled people’s movement, the asylum sector and allies. She spoke movingly at this event, mobilising people to work together to resist the barriers faced by disabled asylum seekers. She explained, “You feel you are fighting for something you don’t deserve. You have to feel it should not be like that. Then you can make a difference”.
Rebecca Yeo adds “She leaves behind an enormous hole in the fight for social justice and in our hearts. We send our deepest condolences to her family and most particularly to her daughter Naysa.”
Click here to read the full memorial to Manjeet on the DPAC web site
Description of cartoon for those using screen reading software
A caricature of Manjeet sitting in her electric wheelchair and holding a placard that reads ‘No human being is illegal’.
Crippen Cartoons 