Page 73 - EducationWorld Oct 2021

narrative, we get a sense of inces of British India, to them. With the Khudai posed exile in Afghanistan
how deeply imbibed these NWFP was singled out for Khidmatgars’ boycott, the and finally occasional
views were. a referendum. In Bacha result was a foregone con- visits to India. In 1987,
‘Struggle’ is in the title Khan’s considered assess- clusion. The rest, as they he was awarded India’s
of the autobiography and ment, this was the result say, is history but in Bacha Bharat Ratna — the first
in fact politics as struggle of a deal “made between Khan’s evocative words, time a foreign national
is its recurrent theme. Lord Louis Mountbatten he and his followers “were was so honoured.
Before and after indepen- and the Congress leaders thrown to the wolves”. In Afghanistan, and
dence, Rajmohan Gandhi to the effect that he would For this turn of events especially amongst the
reminds us in his fore- arrange to have Bengal Bacha Khan blames Pashtun, he remains a re-
word, Bacha Khan spent a and Punjab divided and Mountbatten, Olaf Caroe vered figure even as armed
total of 27 years in prison. that the Congress should the British Governor of conflict defines both the
In 1947, Bacha Khan agree to hold a referendum NWFP, Patel and finally terms and the vocabulary
and the Khudai Khidmat- in the Frontier Province”. Nehru. In his view in the of the country’s politics.
gars saw themselves as Along with the Parti- larger scheme of things As intensified conflicts
victims of a larger political tion of India was the what happened in 1947 and civil war loom ahead
transaction. In 1947, the announcement that the was “not so much as the in Afghanistan, which will
North West Frontier Prov- people of NWFP would portioning of Hindustan, inevitably have a blow-
ince had a Congress gov- have the option to choose as that of the Muslims”. back on the Pashtuns in
ernment but its backbone between India and Paki- The autobiography Pakistan and on the rest
was the Khudai Khidmat- stan in a referendum. The stops in 1947. An epilogue of the region, this is as
gars, Bacha Khan and his Khudai Khidmatgars boy- by the translator ably if good a time as any to read
brother Dr. Khan Sahib cotted the referendum on briefly, summarizes his about Bacha Khan and his
(Abdul Jabbar Khan) who the ground that the third biography thereafter — the cherished ideals.
was the chief minister. option of an independent years in jail in Pakistan, TCA RAGHAVAN (The Book
Alone of all the prov- Pakhtunistan was denied long periods of self-im- Review)

OCTOBER 2021 EDUCATIONWORLD 73