Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan

Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, more than anything else, was a man of God who believed in service to the humanity as service to God. Any religion that provoked conflict and fomented hatred, divided people and destroyed the unity of mankind, Gaffar Khan condemned as not true religion.

Gandhiji was struck by Gaffar Khan's transparent sincerity, frankness and utmost simplicity। He was, in his view, a true Khudai Khidmatgar, Servant of God. He struck to the three prime ideals of life-amal, yakeen, muhabbhat--right conduct, faith and love Born in the North-west Frontier Province in 1890, Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan missed the opportunity of going abroad for studies because his mother would not let him go। He started a number of national schools, so that the sturdy Pathans could first educate themselves। He organized the Pathans as the Khudai Khidmatgars-Servant of God-with brownish (or red) uniforms--they were called the Red Shirts.

Gaffar Khan attended the Karachi Congress of 1931. He was arrested along with his elder brother, Dr. Khan Saheb in 1931 and jailed in the Hazaribagh jail of Bihar. Gaffar Khan was a member of the Congress Working Committee (CWC). When the CWC adopted the Mountbatten Plan for the division of India, Gaffar Khan was the saddest man among his compatriots. He spent the major part of the rest of his life in Pakistan jails. He attended the Congress Centenary session in Bombay in 1985. He was honored with the Award of Bharat Ratna in 1987. He passed away on January 20, 1988. He was a Citizen of the World, who embodied the best in Indian कल्तुरे.