New Delhi [India], January 20 : Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday paid tribute to Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as 'Bacha Khan' and the 'Frontier Gandhi', on his 38th death anniversary, recalling his role in India's freedom struggle.
In a post on X, Kharge said, "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. His steadfast dedication to non violence, harmony, and human dignity continues to inspire millions across India and South Asia, reminding us of the shared ideals that bind us all."
https://x.com/kharge/status/2013437228949831971
The Congress party also remembered Bacha Khan, tweeting, "Remembering the 'Frontier Gandhi' Abdul Ghaffar Khan on his death anniversary. A towering symbol of nonviolence, courage, and sacrifice, he devoted his life to India's freedom struggle, peace, and social reform through steadfast Gandhian principles."
https://x.com/INCIndia/status/2013416189158977802
Paying his respects to Abdul Ghaffar Khan, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan also took to X, writing, "On the death anniversary of the great freedom fighter, known as the Frontier Gandhi, the revered 'Bharat Ratna' Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan ji, I offer my countless salutations! This nation will forever remain grateful to you for your unparalleled contribution to the freedom of the country."
https://x.com/ChouhanShivraj/status/2013444576598728756
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan was a political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition and a lifelong pacifist and devout Muslim. A close friend of India's Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, Bacha Khan was nicknamed the "Frontier Gandhi" in British India.
He founded the Khudai Khidmatgar ("Servants of God") movement in 1929, whose success triggered a harsh crackdown by the then British Empire against him and his supporters, and they suffered some of the most severe repression of the Indian independence movement.
Khan strongly opposed the All-India Muslim League's demand for the partition of India. When the Indian National Congress declared its acceptance of the partition plan without consulting the Khudai Khidmatgar leaders, he felt very sad and told the Congress, "You have thrown us to the wolves".
After partition, Khan pledged allegiance to Pakistan, but championed the cause for the creation of an autonomous "Pashtunistan" administrative unit within the country. As a result, he was frequently arrested by the Pakistan government or kept in confinement. He spent much of the 1960s and 1970s either in jail or in exile.
Upon his death on January 12, 1988, in Peshawar under house arrest, tens of thousands of mourners attended his funeral, marching through the Khyber Pass from Peshawar to Jalalabad.