Patriots > Freedom Struggle under Mahatma Gandhi > Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan
Abdul Ghaffar Khan again plunged into the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930. He was arrested and sent to different jails in the Punjab to serve his term of imprisonment. The Congress was banned in the Frontier province. Abdul Ghaffar Khan established life-long contacts with his Hindu and Sikh friends during his incarceration in the Punjab jails. After his release, following the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, he attended the 45th Session of the Indian National Congress at Karachi in 1931 and made an impressive speech appealing to the Congressmen to take strong action on the resolutions and not to leave them on paper only.

He made a historic speech on 25 June 1931 at a largely attended meeting at Bardoli under the presidentship of Kasturba Gandhi. For his sacrifices and true leadership, the Congress wanted to elect him as its President for the year 1934 but he refused the honour saying, "I am a born soldier and I shall die as one." For a long time, he served as member of the Congress Working Committee. Abdul Ghaffar Khan took a leading part in all the Congress movements from 1920 to 1947 and spent about fourteen years in jail during that period.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan was not only the top leader of his province but an acknowledged leader of all-India importance. He worked for the freedom of India although the cause of the Pathans was very dear to him. He opposed the separationist policy of the Muslim League. He always stood for the complete freedom of the country. He was true follower of Mahatma Gandhi and believed in the policy and aims of the Congress. In 1939 he resigned and the Congress due to his differences on its War policy but rejoined it in 1940 when it was revised.

During the Indo-British negotiations in 1946-47 he vehemently opposed the partition of India. It was perhaps the bitterest disappointment for him when the Congress leaders accepted partition. He expressed his auguish at the way he and the nationalist Pathans had been let down by those by whom they had stood under all circumstances.

After the partition of India and the creation of Pakistan, Abdul Ghaffar Khan did not rest. He started agitation for the establishment of Pakhtoonistan and was jailed quite a number of times by the Pakistan Government. After his last imprisonment he lived in exile in Afghanistan for a long period during the Military Dictatorship in Pakistan, returning to his homeland at the end of 1972.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan subscribed fully to the doctrine of non-violence. It had almost become a matter of faith with him. He believed that his people needed non-violence more that anybody else.

He always enjoined upon his followers of remain non-violent even in the face of the worst provocation. He strongly favoured national education and established a National School in his village and tried to establish its branches all over the province.

The attitude of Abdul Ghaffar Khan towards social reform was modern. He firmly believed in the uplift of the Pathanas and the depressed classes and worked whole-heartedly towards that end. He was against untouchability. He believed in female education and emancipation of women. He was against regionalism.

About his attitude towards the British, he often used to say that he hardly trusted their word. He had no personal animosity towards them but was very sore over the British painting his province as a 'province of murderers' and for the cruelties perpetrated on his people.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan believed in the cult of 'Charkha' and favoured the development of village industries.

Public platform was his main forum through which he spread his ideas on politics, the 'Khudai Khidmatgar Movement', education, social reform, etc. However, he did not ignore the press. He started a monthly journal in Pushto, the Pakhtoon, in 1928 but it was closed down in 1930 after his arrest. It was revived the following year but had to be closed down again. After a few years it was again published as Das Roza in April 1938, but its publication was again suspended in 1941. It made its appearance again in 1945 as a weekly but was closed down after two years.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan founded an organisation known as the 'Khudai Khidmatgars' (Servants of God) for carrying on his work. Its aim in the beginning was social reform but later on it expanded its activities. At Sardaryab, a national centre for the Khudai Khidmatgars was established. The organisation became very popular among the masses.

The political awakening among the Pathans has been largely due to the work carried on by Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his close associate over a period of nearly three decades. For his work and great sacrifices, he is highly respected and called 'Father-e-Afghan' (The Pride of the People). Due to his close relations with Mahatma Gandhi, he was called by the people 'Frontier Gandhi'. For his quality of leadership, he was also known as 'Bacha Khan' which means a Sardar or leader. 'Badshah Khan' is another name by which he is popularly known.

Abdul Ghaffar Khan had a striking appearance. He was tall and well-built. He had simple habits. He used Khadi and his dress was always unostentatious. He was courteous and easily accessible.

Author : Meher Chand Khanna
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