PESHAWAR:
It is a strange irony that the land which gave birth to the non-violent movement started by Ghaffar Khan in this part of the world is itself engulfed in the flames of violence.
Baacha Khan’s Khudai Khidmatgar or Servants of God movement influenced the struggle for freedom and Pakhtun nationalism by their adoption of non-violence as a political tool to fight against the British Empire.
Born in 1890s at Uthmanzai village in Charsadda district, Baacha Khan’s first started with education by setting up educational institutions in early 1910. British banned the schools set up to spread awareness among Pakhtuns.
Baacha Khan’s political activities were gaining support in the wake of the Khilafat Movement. On April 6, 1919, on the eve of the India-wide strike against the Rowlett Act, about 50,000 villagers gathered at the Utmanzai village- first and largest protest in any village in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, at the time.
The British imprisoned Khan and imposed a fine of Rs30,000 on Uthmanzai villagers. The Khilafat movement introduced the Frontier to professional and urban politics in place of guns. In the months to follow, he migrated to Afghanistan when religious scholars declared India as Darul-al-Harb (Land of War).
Baacha Khan set up a school in Dir upon his return, which was also closed down. He then went back to his village and set up Anjuman-i-Islahul-Afghanan (Society for the Reformation of Afghans) in 1921. The society aims were unity among Pakhtuns, eradication of social evils and the promotion of Pashto language and culture. This was followed by opening schools to educate the Pakhtun.
The revolutionary leader attended the Indian National Congress meeting in Lahore in December 1929 after which the Civil Disobedience Movement was launched, characterised by the killing of the unarmed Khudai Khidmatgar in the Qissa Khwani massacre of April 1930. This was followed by a period of the worst kind of repression that ended with the Ghandi-Irwin Pact in March 1931.
Baacha Khan and Khudai Khidmatgar over the course of years proved their allegiance to non-violence. His imprisonment for several occasions and repression by the Raj failed to make him give up his stance on non-violence till his death January 20, 1988.
Baacha Khan’s message of peace seems to be even more relevant today. Perhaps, it was his message of peace and non-violence that helped Awami National Party (ANP) into K-P government for the first time since Pakistan’s creation.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 26th, 2012.
COMMENTS (10)
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@Rajan: Can you recommend some reference books re Bacha Khan.
Hillary Clinton quoted Bacha Khan in an Iftar dinner “ that we need to be inspired by our leaders to fight poverty, injustice and hate with, “the weapon of the Prophet—patience and righteousness.” Well, that, to me, sums up much of what we celebrate tonight as we break fast.” http://www.state.gov/secretary/rm/2009a/09/129232.htm The west resisted the philosophy of non-violence and struggle for freedom of Bacha Khan during the cold war. Thankfully this mindset is slowly changing because violence can no more be confined to specific countries and regions. Bacha Khan’s philosophy of non-violence provides HOPE and struggle towards PEACE. Think-tanks, peace movements and academia need to analyse the life and struggle of Bacha Khan and
How long do we live in misperceptions about certain personalities and groups. It is very unfortunate that we blow up a bubble of misperception about a certain event or personality or a group and when it blown apart , we can see the reality in hindsight. We as a nation works on hindsight rather that foresight.We say that After Jinnah no leader has ever born on our land , i think we are wrong , there were and are good people around but we are lesser people thats why we have now been led by stags rather than lions.
They should teach bout him in Pakistan studies along with Bose and the Indian National Army
thanks ET for writing about Baacha khan. very good to see you write about a great Pukhtun hero.
We in Pakistan unfortunately just talk of the role of Muslim league in the fight against the British. We have completely ignored people like Bacha Khan and his spirit of non violence, we even dont mention the madonna massacre against his followers. How many of the top leaders of the Muslim League went in jail in their guest and even faced batons and bullets. we need to implor, give an open view on history, is what this nation needs.
Author has conveninetly left out mentioning Badshah Khan's struggle against successive governments in Pakistan in his struggle for Pakthun rights and democracy in Pakistan in general
Please don't do the injustice to Bacha Khan by linking his name to ANP. His desendants may be in ANP,they may cash his name but how many schools have they built. KP is said to be the province with most corruption.