With Dr. Khan becoming the premier, the group of his opponents also started getting stronger. Khan Bhai failed to control this protest in time. According to Maulana Azad, he also made such mistakes, which were directly due to his habits and mood.
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Can a Chief Minister’s miserliness in his personal life be a reason for his unpopularity and increasing distance from his supporters? Such was the case with Dr. Khan Sahab, the then premier of North West Frontier Province, a state of undivided India, wrote Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the two-time president of the Congress and the first education minister of independent India. The North West Frontier Province was the only Muslim-majority province, where the Congress was more dominant than the Muslim League. The credit for the success of the Congress in both the 1937 and 1946 elections was due to Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, his brother Dr. Khan Sahab and their supporters, the Khudai Khidmatgars.
Regarding this province, the Congress used to give preference to the opinion of the Khan brothers and took decisions about it from their point of view. Sometimes Mahatma Gandhi used to say that Khan Bhai has become the guide of my conscience regarding the border province.
With the rise of the League, the hold of the Congress in the state has weakened.
In 1946, an interim government was formed at the center. Jawaharlal Nehru was the Vice President of this government. Meanwhile, news was coming that the Muslim League has become strong in the border province and the Congress is losing support. However, Nehru and other Congressmen were not ready to accept it. He felt that the British officers angry with the Congress and supporters of the Muslim League were misleading Viceroy Lord Wavell by sending such news. Pandit Nehru himself decided to go to Seema Prant to know about the situation. Maulana Azad has claimed in his autobiography ‘India Wins Freedom’ that he had advised Jawaharlal not to act in haste.
Nehru had to face fierce Pathans
As soon as Pandit Nehru got out of the plane at Peshawar airport, he had to face protests by thousands of Pathans carrying black flags. League supporters had a special role in gathering and provoking this crowd. The police remained mute spectators. The Congress Premier (Chief Minister) Dr. Khan Sahab and his allies and supporters were finding themselves helpless when they came to welcome him. While sitting in the car, the protesters tried to attack Pandit Nehru. Premier Dr. Khan somehow saved Nehru from the crowd by drawing his revolver. The next day Pandit Nehru went on a trip to the tribal areas from Peshawar. He found everywhere that people are with the League. At some places, stones were also thrown at his car. A stone also hit Nehru’s forehead. Dr. Khan found himself helpless. Pandit Nehru himself controlled the anger of the protesters with bravery and understanding.
Pathans famous for hospitality expect the same from the person in front
With Dr. Khan becoming the premier, the group of his opponents also started getting stronger. Khan Bhai failed to control this protest in time. According to Maulana Azad, he also made such mistakes, which were directly due to his habits and mood. Border Pathans are famous for their hospitality. To such an extent that they make a guest share till the last piece of their bread and are always welcome at Dastarkhan. But they expect the same from the person in front. Especially from those people who are on high positions. Pathan finds the miserliness of the person in front extremely distasteful. Unfortunately, despite the good financial condition of the Khan brothers, the hospitality aspect was very weak and they were stingy.
It was not possible to get even a cup of tea at the Chief Minister’s place!
According to Maulana Azad, Dr. Khan rarely used to invite anyone for dinner. If ever people reached the time of eating or tea, they were postponed. Under his supervision, the government fund which was also used for general courtesy, was very miserly reflected in it. Congress handed over huge amount to him for candidates in elections but he spent very little of it. Many candidates lost due to lack of funds. When such people came to know that the money received from the party was not distributed and was lying idle, they became fierce opponents of the Khan brothers.
On one occasion, a delegation of Congress leaders from Peshawar came to meet Maulana regarding the election fund. It was tea time. He was offered tea and biscuits at Maulana’s place. One member liked the biscuits very much. He asked its brand. Then told Maulana that he had seen these biscuits at Dr. Khan’s place. But Dr. Khan never asked any of us for a cup of tea away from the biscuits. These small things distanced many of Dr. Khan’s colleagues from him.
The boycott of the referendum, the fight for Pakhtunistan continues even today
The influence of the League increased in the North West Province amidst the sentimental wave of a separate Pakistan. After the formal consent of the Congress to the partition, the Khan brothers were left alone. The only option was to choose either Pakistan or India through a plebiscite. The Congress Working Committee authorized the Khan brothers to settle the situation in their state on their own terms.
Khan Abdul Ghaffar said that the Pathans of the border province have their own distinct history and culture. So the plebiscite should not be limited to choosing either Pakistan or India, but another option should be an independent Pashtunistan. The British and the League did not agree to this at all. After Lord Mountbatten’s clear refusal, the Khan brothers refused to participate in such a plebiscite. He appealed to the Pathans to boycott it but it remained unheard. Most of the Pathans who took part in large numbers took the side of Pakistan. However, Khan Bhai Toumr fought and later generations continue the fight for separate Pakhtunistan.
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