Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan had a close ‘Lucknow connection’

Lucknow: Very few people know that Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, widely known as Frontier Gandhi, met his political idol Mahatma Gandhi in Lucknow during the All India Congress Committee meeting held in the summer of 1929. The meeting marked an important moment in the evolution of a partnership that would shape the non-violent strand of India's freedom movement.
Admired as the non-violent ‘Badshah' of the Pakhtuns, ‘Badshah Khan' occupies a distinct place in the history of India's struggle for independence.Born on February 6, 1890, in Utmanzai in present-day Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he emerged as a rare voice from the frontier who challenged both British colonial authority and the rooted belief that Pashtun identity was attached to violence.His life's work went on to redefine resistance in one of the most militarised regions under colonial rule and after. He is the first of the two non-Indians to be conferred with Bharat Ratna in 1987, India's highest civilian honour, for his contribution.Formation of Khudai Khidmatgar According to Rajmohan Gandhi's biography ‘Gaffar Gandhi', after meeting Mahatma Gandhi, in September 1929, he founded the Khudai Khidmatgar, or Servants of God, a volunteer organisation committed to non-violent resistance. Members wore red uniforms (Shirts or Kurta), due to which they were also known as ‘Laal Kurti Wale' and built a disciplined mass movement that worked for education, health, public service and communal harmony.Their commitment was tested during the 1930 Qissa Khwani Bazaar massacre in Peshawar, when British troops opened fire on unarmed protesters. Many were killed, yet the volunteers did not retaliate.Ramesh Dixit, former professor of Lucknow University, said "Besides facing repression peacefully, Khudai Khidmatgars worked for social unity, education, and community welfare, treating service as patriotism."Frontier GandhiAt a time when resistance in the frontier region was often associated with armed struggle, he embraced non-violence as both a political strategy and a moral principle in the fight against colonial rule. Due to his approach, his followers called him ‘Sarhadi Gandhi' (Frontier Gandhi).Khan worked closely with Mahatma Gandhi and was committed to Hindu-Muslim unity, democratic rights, and federal cooperation even after Partition. His political positions led to repeated arrests under British rule and later under the Pakistani government. In total, he spent nearly 32 years in prison. He died at the age of 97.Always against the PartitionKhan was the only leader who did not accept partition of India. He believed that dividing the country would fracture communities that had lived together for centuries.Historian Hafeez Kidwai notes that when partition became inevitable, in his autobiography, he recalled telling Congress leaders, "You have thrown us to the wolves," capturing his sense of betrayal. He, thereafter, avoided visiting India, and came only when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi invited him for Gandhi's centenary birth anniversary.Badshah Khan's Lucknow connectionKhan's connection with Lucknow was special. In his autobiography, Khan wrote that his first meeting with Mahatma Gandhi took place in Lucknow. The meeting shaped his political direction and strengthened his commitment to non-violence.Historian Hafeez Kidwai, associated with Khudai Khidmatgar initiatives in Lucknow, emphasised that the city was not merely a transit point in Khan's travels. According to him, Lucknow represented a space where Gandhian thought, socialist politics, and questions of national unity intersected.Kidwai said that during 1967 India visit, Lucknow was in his itinerary. He was hosted by Begum Hamida Habibullah. The visit drew public attention, and several prominent personalities came to meet him, including actor Dilip Kumar, who was visiting the city then.Khan shared a close rapport with socialist leaders Ram Manohar Lohia and Raj Narain. Public meetings formed an important part of his Lucknow visits. He addressed large gatherings at Jhandewala Park in Aminabad and delivered a lecture at Lucknow University. His speeches dealt with democracy, non-violence, social justice, communal harmony and the responsibility of citizens in a newly independent nation.Prof Aroop Chakravarti of the department of modern history at Lucknow University said that Ghaffar Khan's visits in the late 1920s and 1930s coincided with a period when Lucknow was emerging as an active political arena.Chakravarti observed that Khan engaged closely with students. His university interactions focused on discipline, public service, and ethical politics. He encouraged youth participation in democratic processes and social reform movements.Senior journalist Pradeep Kapoor recalled witnessing Khan's visit to Lucknow during the Gandhi Centenary programmes. He remembered the public response across the city. A widely circulated photograph showed Indira Gandhi receiving him as he arrived carrying a small bag. The image generated considerable interest at the time.Kapoor, then a school student, remembered standing in Hazratganj when Khan's car passed through the area. Crowds gathered along the route to catch a glimpse. He also recalled that a public function was organised at Ravindralaya in his honour.Senior Congress leader Mohsina Kidwai of Barabanki was among the leaders from the region who attended his funeral in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on January 20, 1988. She travelled with then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.Speaking to TOI, Mohsina Kidwai recalled, "I was fortunate to attend the funeral of Khan Sahab. At the time, I was a cabinet minister in the Union government and had gone to see off Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi at the airport. The aircraft door was about to close when he saw me. The plane was halted, the door reopened, and Rajiv ji called me to board. I was the only person in the delegation at the airport who was familiar with Muslim funeral rituals, so I accompanied him without any prior preparation. It was the first time I witnessed such an enormous gathering. Lakhs of people and dignitaries had assembled to bid Khan Sahab a final farewell. The Soviet–Afghan government coalition and the Afghan mujahideen, which were engaged in a civil war, declared an immediate ceasefire to allow Khan's burial."(Photo credit: The Frontier Gandhi: My Life and Struggle, Autobiography of Abdul Ghaffar Khan)