Essay, Biography or Paragraph on “Abdul Gaffar Khan” complete biography for Class 10, Class 12 and Graduation and other classes.

Abdul Gaffar Khan

Pakhtunistan : ‘Frontier Gandhi’

Birth : 1890       Death : 1988

Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan is one of the few survivors of the older generation of freedom fighters and followers of Gandhi. He is called `Frontier Gandhi’ because he organized the people of the North West Frontier Province (N.W.F.P.) of the undivided India on Gandhian principles. After the partition of India in 1947, N.W.F.P. was merged into Pakistan, but the struggle of Frontier Gandhi did not end with it and he continued to fight for the independence of his people, the Pakhttms or Pathans. As he is a staunch follower of Gandhianism, so his struggle is completely non-violent. From the very beginning, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan was strongly opposed to the British. He was the first to be imprisoned for three years, on charge of sedition. When he was released, he organized an institution Ithudai Khidmatgar’ for bringing the Pakhtuns into the mainstream of national freedom struggle. He thus intensified his struggle. Whereas, the Muslim League kept aloof from the struggle of Pakhtuns, the congress extended its whole-hearted support. Hence, he became a staunch congressman and from now onwards his reputation of a follower of Gandhi became firmly established.

Abdul Gaffar Khan was born in a well-to-do family of N.W.F.P. Since his very childhood, he has been a person of firm determination and so the Afghans started to call him `Bachha Khan’. He exercises great influence on the tribals of the Frontier Province (Pakistan). The gentle Khan has always called himself as a soldier of the freedom struggle while his admirers and followers have called him the `Badshah Khan’ or the ‘King Khan’. Gandhiji himself used to call him by this name. The people of India also have great regard for him. On the invitation of the Government of India, Badshah Khan visited India in 1969 and toured widely meeting and addressing people. He was also a great attraction at the Congress centenary function held in Bombay in 1985. The government of India conferred on him the highest honour of the country ‘Bharat Ratna’. Badshah Khan passed away at the age of 98.