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'There is nothing
surprising in a Muslim, a Pathan like me subscribing
to the creed of non-violence. It is not a new creed. It was followed
fourteen hundred years ago by the Prophet all the time he was in Mecca'
One of Gandhi's achievements was to convert the Pathans to his unique
weapon - non-violence. Gandhiji needed a faithful disciple -- Khan
Abdul Ghaffar Khan -- to lead them in his Satyagraha campaigns.
Gandhi called him 'Badshah Khan', others referred to him as the
'Frontier Gandhi'. Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan's non-violent grouping,
the 'Khudai Khidmatgars' was held in high esteem by Afghans .
The Frontier Gandhi saw no conflict in his triple identities - his
'Pathaniat', 'Hindustaniat' and 'Insaniat' (humanity) was an organic
whole. |
