Abdul Ghani Khan

Khan Abdul Ghani Khan was born early in the second decade of the 20th century. When asked he gave his birth year as 1913, 14 or 15 [1] . His father was the noted activist Khan Abdul Ghuffar Khan "also known as Bacha Khan) in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan which was then a British Colonial Territory. He was educated at first by the imam of the local mosque and then at the National High School in Peshawar before attending one of the many schools in Utmanzai [2] set up by his father and a group of local people including the Haji of Turangzai and a number of local mullahs. He later attended the Jamia Milli (National College), Delhi,
He was subsequently sent England where, ironically, he stayed with and was tutored for a year and a half by a clergyman. Arrangements were then made for Ghani Khan to go to USA for the study of sugar technology at the University of Southern Louisiana but his studies there were cut short when his father's arrest for militant activity led to financial difficulries. [2] It was about this time that he lived with the Nehru family and he met the future Indian Prime Minister, Indira Gjhandi.
Ghuffar Khan was heavily involved in the early days of the anti-colonial movement and had been imprisoned for his actions. [1] Amongst many other things he was a founder of Khudai Khidmatgar (Servants of God) movement [2]and it is not surprising that his eldest son Ghani Khan should have some of the same ideals as his father although they later disagreed on economic aspects. [2]
For a time both he and Indira studied at Shantiniketan, a school established by Rabindranath Tagore. Ghani Khan said "My stay in the West left many imprints on my psyche. I was deeply impressed by their society, culture and politics. When I came back I had an inferiority complex about the backwardness of my country. It was in the Shantiniketan that I discovered myself and the past greatness of my own culture and civilization which has produced several men of versatile genius, who have been appreciated by historians and scholars of the West." Unfortunately, despite the intervention of Mahatma Ghandi his father withdrew him from his studies. [2]
As a young man Ghani Khan worked in a sugar mill and used to hunt animals as a hobby, something he deeply regretted later in life [1]. He wrote humorous columns entitled Gaday-Waday (Stuff and nonsense) under the nom-de-plume of lewancy falsafi (The Mad Philosopher) for a local (Pathan) newspaper called Pukhtoon which was organised by his father. One of his early columns ridiculed the national poets of the time and their use of Fakhr-e-Afghan (meaning Pride of Afghan, a title given to his father Ghuffir Khan). These columns were not very popular with his relations and he began adding serious articles. He started writing his poetry whilst still at school but that was not for publication.
In 1945 the Frontier Congress nominated Ghani Khan to contest the Central Assembly seat and he won thus becoming the youngest member of the Central Legislative Assembly of India. His witty oratory marked him out and he soon became a member of the Advisory Committees of the Assembly and was soon regarded as one of the top three political speakers of the time. [2] He quickly gained prominence within the assembly and travelled widely. In 1947 he founded the Zalmai Pukhtoon (Pukhtoon Youth)
On 5th July 1948, at 1:00 a.m., Ghani was arrested for alleged subversive activities and was imprisoned and his property confiscated. It was to be 6 years before he was released and his property restored, thanks to Sardar Abdur Rashid. During that time he wrote a book of verses De Panjray Chaghar (Chirpings of the Cage) [1956]. Ghani Khan wrote and was published mostly in English. "Khan Sahib" is his sole Urdu publication.[2] although he has subsequently been translated many times.
In his review of Pukhto literature Ajmal Khattak comments that:
".Though Abdul Ghani Khan has expressed the emotions of love and affection in the form of verse and, under the influence of nationalistic passion, has also written exceptionally fine poems, but in Pukhto literature he is known as the 'mad philosopher'; and this because he, using this pen-name, has written such outstanding humorous and satirical poems, that when anybody gets to read the Journal Pukhtoon, he straight away tries to locate the name and writings of the 'mad philosopher.' "
Ghani Khan is now considered one of the top three Pashto poets along with Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari (December 1907- 18th February, 1994) and Qalandar Moomand (1st September, 1930). [2] He was also an artist having drawn from early childhood (mostly faces) [1]. He also did some excellent sculpture work. and wrote histories of the Pathan people as well as an autobiography.
He died on 15th March 1996.
JS
References used
[1] ...... http://www.khyber.org/interviews/ghanikhan.shtml
[2] ...... http://www.khyber.org/people/literary/GhaniKhan.shtml