Faisal Khan (in cap) with Tara Gandhi, giving Khudai Khidmatgar membership to Tanzila. Photo: courtesy TCN
The Khudai Khidmatgar (Red Shirts) movement will be launched in India on Jan 20, 2012, marking the 24th death anniversary of the ‘Sarhadi Gandhi’ Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, with a membership drive, and addresses by distinguished peace activists, writers and poets
Date: January 20, 2012
Time: 3.30-5.30 pm,
Place: 5 Tees January Marg New Delhi
Contact: +91-9911292235 and +91-999050543
Speakers include
Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan: A great and enduring legacy of peace
Prof. V. K. Tripathy, Sadbhav mission, IIT Delhi, Tara Gandhi, granddaughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Bharat Dogra, writer and activist, Manimala, Director, Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, Majid Menon well known human rights activist and Subbar Rao well known Gandhian and president Sarvoday Samaj. Young activist Faisal, Khan (TCN Person of the Year 2011), who is behind the revival of Khudai Khidmatgar movement in India, will present a brief report.
In an email of Jan 16, 2012, Faisal Khan writes: “On January 20, 2011, at the time of launching Khudai Khidmatgar’s nation-wide membership drive at Birla House, Tees January Marg (the place, where Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated), we had not anticipated such an overwhelming response from various sections of society. We had set a difficult target of enrolling 5,000 Khidmatgars (members) by January 20, 2012, i.e., within one year of revival, and started state-wise drive for membership, soon thereafter. We are likely to meet our membership target.
“All Khidmatgars may not be very active right now, but as a Khudai Khidmatgar, each one of us subscribes to, dreams of, and wishes to work towards, a society that is based on justice, empathy, and compassion, and where all-round peace and prosperity reign.
“On 20th January 2012, on the 24th death anniversary of Sarhadi Gandhi, Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, Khudai Khidmatgars propose to initiate a wing that will actively work during disasters, man-made (such as communal- and caste- violence) and natural (cyclone etc.), both. It will be a befitting tribute to the sacrifices of Sarhadi Gandhi and Mahatma Gandhi, both, and also send out the signal that Khudai Khidmatgars truly stand for the welfare of humanity.”
SOME MEDIA ON THE REVIVAL OF KHUDAI KHIDMATGARS IN INDIA
1. Frontier Gandhi: A forgotten hero – NDTV, Jan 7, 2011
2. ‘Countering communal poison has to be an ongoing process’ -TIMES OF INDIA, March 16, 2011
3. Khudai Khidmatgar revived with fifty members taking oath to serve the humanity – KHYBER WATCH, Feb 4, 2011
4. Khudai Khidmatgars in India to revive movement, INTERNATIONAL The NEWS, Feb 5, 2011
5. Membership drive of Khudai Khidmatgar conducted in 3 states, TwoCircles.net, April 21, 2011
Filed under: Progressive politics | Tagged: Faisal Khan, frontier Gandhi, India, khan abdul ghaffar khan, khudai khidmatgar, Pakistan, Peace, red shirts, sarhadi gandhi |
Journeys to democracy 
Certainly we need a GANDHI, reflecting the true spirit of religion, today to serve the suffering humanity as an answer to the self-styled haters of humanity, the khudaai foujdars, using religion for barbarism.
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[…] Khudai Khidmatgars: India launch Jan 20, 2012 […]
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all negative forces are very much organised and create nuisance when they get chance. now its turn of peace lovers and humanists to organise
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I wish Bacha Khan’s teachings were followed in Pakistan (even in his province) as well, where hundreds of people die through violent activities every month. Well done friends – keep it up.
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