Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan – Early Years, Partition, Arrest and Exile

Introduction

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan is one of those leaders in India who brought the ideology of brotherhood to the mass to keep India united. Badshah Khan and Bacha Khan are his other known names. The Afghans were proud of him and called him Fakra -e- Afghan. He was closely related to M. K. Gandhi. He was known as Sarhadi Gandhi or Frontier Gandhi.

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan and his movement

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a Pashtun leader who was a prominent part of Indian politics. He actively worked for society and social reformation. He started strong campaigns to eliminate British leaders from India and make Indian people free of British slavery. He participated in several political movements between 1919-1921 including the Rowlatt Act and Khilafat movement.

Figure 1: Important facts about Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

He was the founder of the movement Khudai Khitmatgar happened in 1929. The movement was non-violent opposing the British leadership in India. A bigger political movement was eventually created from this movement within a short time. The national congress of India led the campaign formally without the Muslim League’s support after Khan’s arrest.

Early years of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan belonged to a prosperous Muslim family of Pashtun, Utmanzai. The leader was born in Peshawar, India under British rule on the 6th of February, 1890. He was the son of Abdul Bahram Khan. Bacha Khan initially studied in a British operated school named Edward Mission School. Khan thought of education for the masses and in 1910 he started the journey by opening a mosque school. In 1915, the British government tried to oppose the operation as they are afraid of thinking of it was a source of anti-British activities. Khan and his team were accused of the movement for Pashtun Independence by the British.

Bacha Khan and the Partition

Bacha Khan was against India’s partition proposal. Other political leaders assaulted Khan as anti-Muslim. He was taken to a hospital after the physical assault in 1946. Loya Jirga - an assembly of Pashtun language was held in Bannu on 21st June 1947. It was made with provincial assembly members, Khudai Khidmatgars, and Khan. It was a couple of weeks before India’s partition. Pashtun people could opt for the separation of all Pashtunian states according to the declaration of Bannu resolution.

The national congress of India lastly disagreed with the partition proposal like the PM post offering to Jinnah. Khan realized betrayal from both Pakistan and India concluding Gandhi and congress that he and he and his team were thrown in front of wolves.

Exile and Arrest of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan

In the 1st constituent assembly season of Pakistan, Khan took the allegiance oath for the nation. Full support for political issues and the government that was newly formed was promised by Khan. He supported Jinnah forgetting opinion differences from past. The initial meeting in Karachi had gone with success. Abdul Qayyum Khan Kashmiri the Khyber Phaktunba CM showed insistence by causing a disturbance in the second meeting. Abdul Qayyum Khan had insistence on Bacha Khan’s assassination plan for Jinnah. Abdul Qayyum Khan tried to weaken Bacha Khan’s popularity among other leaders of Pakistan.

In the 1st constituent assembly season of Pakistan, Khan took the allegiance oath for the nation. Full support for political issues and the government that was newly formed was promised by Khan. He supported Jinnah forgetting opinion differences from past. The initial meeting in Karachi had gone with success. Abdul Qayyum Khan Kashmiri the Khyber Phaktunba CM showed insistence by causing a disturbance in the second meeting. Abdul Qayyum Khan had insistence on Bacha Khan’s assassination plan for Jinnah. Abdul Qayyum Khan tried to weaken Bacha Khan’s popularity among other leaders of Pakistan.

The Pakistan Azad Party was introduced by Khan as a new opposition in the year 1948. The planning and ideology of the party was constructive. He continued his party with good works. He was arrested without any proof. In the year 1988, Khan’s death occurred at the time of house arrest. The funeral was done at Jalalabad in Afghanistan. The funeral was remarkable and about two lakh people and the Afghanistan president Mohammed Najibullah attended to see him for the last time. Pashtun leaders started to lose power after the death of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. The announcement of a cease-fire was done during the Afghan Civil war for the funeral as he was a reputed leader among Pashtuns.

Khudai Khidmatgar

Khan realized that there were internal fights between Pashtun families that had continued for years after years and he wanted to educate them. Khudai Khidmatgar was founded by him for forming a secular, independent and united India. It means Servants of God. Over one lakh members were enrolled in it and they were killed for opposing British authorities. The Frontier Province’s political landscape of the northwestern part was dominated by the organisation.

Political Legacy

The political legacy of Bacha Khan became famous to the Pashtuns population and the Indian republic. The legacy was spread holding the ideology of brotherhood and a non-violence principle. In Pakistan, his true allegiance was questioned by major societies about his Indian congress association and opposing Jinnah. Many societies in Pakistan have doubts about choosing Afghanistan as Khan’s funeral place.

Conclusion

Bacha Khan or Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was born in the late 19th century in a Pashtun family. He emphasised the education of the Pashtun population and joined various movements for the freedom of India. The Frontier Gandhi title was given to him for the ideology similarity with Mahatma Gandhi. He strongly disagreed with the partition proposal of India. He worked for uniting people for the complete freedom of India.

FAQs

Q1. What was meant by Red Shirts?

Red Shirts or Surkh Pōsh was the common name of Khudai Khidmatgar during the 1920s. It was established by Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan from the secularism and freedom of India

Q2. Which major movements in India did Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan join?

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan joined the Khilafat movement in 1920. Later in 1929, he founded the red shirt movement or Khudai Khitmatgar movement.

Q3. In which year did Khan join politics?

Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan joined politics in the year 1919. He entered politics during the Rowlatt Act movement.