New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS) On the death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as the ‘Frontier Gandhi’, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday said the legendary freedom fighter made immense contributions to India’s independence movement and endured repeated imprisonment for his unwavering principles.
Taking to the social media platform X, Mallikarjun Kharge paid tribute to the iconic leader and wrote, “In solemn remembrance of Bacha Khan, the Frontier Gandhi, a Bharat Ratna recipient and a beacon of peace, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan."
“A towering figure in the freedom struggle, he made immense contributions to India’s Independence Movement and endured repeated imprisonment for his principles. He also served for years on the Congress Working Committee and was elected to the Constituent Assembly, ” Kharge said.
Highlighting his philosophy, the Congress chief added, “His steadfast dedication to nonviolence, harmony, and human dignity continues to inspire millions across India and South Asia, reminding us of the shared ideals that bind us all.”
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was born in 1890 in Utmanzai, located in present-day Pakistan. From a young age, he was deeply involved in efforts to promote education and literacy among Indians. At just twenty years of age, he founded the first of several schools aimed at social reform and empowerment.
A prominent Pashtun leader, Khan became actively involved in the Indian independence movement during the agitations against the Rowlatt Act, during which he first met Mahatma Gandhi. Due to his persistent activism, he was imprisoned and subjected to severe torture multiple times between 1920 and 1947.
He later joined the Khilafat Movement and, in 1921, was elected president of a district Khilafat Committee in the North-West Frontier Province. In 1929, he launched the non-violent Khudai Khidmatgar Movement, also known as the Red Shirt Movement, which aligned closely with the Congress party and played a significant role until the Partition of India in 1947.
While Mahatma Gandhi was leading the freedom struggle in mainland India, the North-West Frontier Province was witnessing the rise of another Mahatma -- Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan. Strongly inspired by Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, Badshah Khan, as he was fondly called, organised the world’s first large-scale non-violent army in the region.
He persuaded nearly 1, 00, 000 people to lay down their arms and pledge to fight the British regime through peaceful means. This force was called the Khudai Khidmatgar, meaning “Servants of God”.
Khan was elected to the Constituent Assembly from the North-West Frontier Province on a Congress ticket. Though not very active in debates, he was a member of the Advisory Committee. He strongly opposed the Partition of India but chose to remain in Pakistan, where he continued to advocate non-violence and sought autonomy for the Pashtun community.
His activism in Pakistan led to repeated imprisonment, spanning nearly seventeen years. Later, he lived in exile in Afghanistan until 1972.
In 1987, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan became the first non-Indian to receive India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. He passed away on January 20, 1988, in Peshawar and was laid to rest in J