Bacha Khan’s tryst with destiny

The death anniversary of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as Bacha Khan, was observed on 20^th January by his admirers and followers with enthusiasm and solemnity. Around the world, his achievements were eulogised to honour him.

Great personalities can be best evaluated by referring to the time and social conditions in which they lived, and in terms of their imprint on the course of history. To truly assess the achievements of Bacha Khan in politics and morality, it is necessary to briefly understand the politico-religious and social conditions of the Pashtuns during British colonial rule. On the one hand, the colonial government actively discouraged all kinds of political and social movements in the north-western region, thus deterring Pashtun notables from coming forward and leading the people. On the other hand, Pashtuns were embroiled in the vices of badal (revenge), paighoor (taunt), and tribal divisions. Therefore, they could not rise as one voice. Sensing division of the house in the heydays of British colonial government, Bacha Khan had the wisdom and foresight that independence could only be achieved with the help of an organised reform movement and not by the power of guns. He was a passionate freedom lover and a realist who knew that defeating British power with an armed struggle was not possible. Therefore, he sensibly chose the path of social reform and awareness through his educational movement.

During the first decade of the 20^th century, Bacha Khan made a tryst with destiny. The destiny was emancipation from foreign yoke and imperialism, peace and tranquillity based on nonviolence, egalitarianism and socioeconomic justice. Marching towards this destiny, he came across many adversities. However, these adversities only strengthened his resolve by rekindling his passion for liberty.

With little regard for physical comforts, he travelled on foot, lorries and tongas (horse carriage) to reach out to people, who began calling him Bacha Khan. Acting like a Buddha of his times, he was not attracted to the splendours of life but rather was deeply perturbed over the miseries of his people. As a rationalist leader, his struggle was not just against the foreign power but also against those forces of traditions that kept his society stale and backwards. Like every social reformer, he also experienced stiff opposition from traditionalists and opportunists. He, however, remained undaunted as his perseverance always made him continue his march against all odds.

He started alone but quickly attracted people to his mission. In 1910, at the age of 20, Bacha Khan opened a mosque school in his hometown Utmanzai. In 1911, he joined the independence movement of the Pashtun freedom fighter Haji Sahib of Turangzai. However, in 1915, the British authorities banned his mosque school. Having witnessed the repeated failure of revolts against the British Raj, Bacha Khan decided that social activism and reform would be more beneficial for the Pashtuns. In 1920, he joined the Khilafat movement and the Hijrit movement and was elected its President in 1921. Despite the repression, the continuity of his reformist and political movement transformed into a social reform organisation Ajuman-e-Islahe Afghana (Association for the reformation of Afghans) in 1921. In 1927, he organised the youth movement Pakhtun Jirga i.e. Pashtun Assembly. Another one of his accomplishments was the publication of the first Pashto language monthly journal Pakhtun after his return from the Hajj pilgrimage in May 1928. Alarmed by these activities, the colonial government used all kinds of tactics — from bribes to intimidation and incarceration to deter him from socio-political activities. However, none of these tactics dampened his spirit.

In 1929, the Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement was a hallmark achievement as it helped infuse a nationalist spirit. It wove Pashtuns into a single entity that was scattered along tribal lines. More importantly, this social reform movement made the ignored region an integral part of the Indian political scene. Following his arrest and other leaders in 1929, and the massacre of Qissa Khan by British troops, his movement joined the Indian National Congress, after being cold-shouldered by the Muslim League to offer support.

During the civil disobedience movement in 1930-31, Bacha Khan remained at the forefront and dominated the politics of the Pashtun region. In 1937, he helped Congress win provincial elections and maintained a strong irreplaceable influence over politics in the region. This was proven by the overwhelming majority of the Congress government in the Provincial Assembly on the eve of independence in 1947.

Though his messages of social equity, truth, purity and liberty were mainly directed to Pashtuns, they carried a universal appeal. Nonviolence, peace and justice are virtues that transcend boundaries and nations.

The sad saga of state-level atrocities unleashed at Bacha Khan did not end with the colonial government. Even after the British left, the people of Pakistan could not enjoy the fruits of democracy as a coterie of the ruling elite kept power under their firm control. Consequently, Bacha Khan had to continue his struggle for democracy and suffered immensely at the hands of new tormenters. As a visionary, he opposed the forced policy of centralisation as he could foresee that such a policy would lead to fragmentation of the country. However, his advice fell upon deaf ears, and we soon lost half of Pakistan. His predictions of the Afghan conflict also materialised as the so-called holy jihad in Afghanistan brought nothing but destruction to the country and Pashtuns, in particular. Unfortunately, we never learn any lessons from history.

It is high time that great personalities like Bacha Khan were acclaimed at a national level and accorded due place by observation of anniversaries at the state level. Their struggles should be included in school curriculums to inform and inspire our younger generations. Living nations must remember their heroes, seek inspiration from their lives, and use them as a beacon for the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2022.

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