Nehru's Disastrous Tour of Waziristan and Other Tribal Areas in 1946

In October 1946 Jawaharlal Nehru visited North-West Frontier (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). His mission, in his role as Minister of External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations, was to review the living conditions in the Tribal areas. Mukilika Banargee writes that the underlying motive of his visit was to assess the truth of the reports that had been fed, often by the British intelligence, that the influence of Bacha Khan and Khudai Khidmatgar in the Frontier was on decline [1]. News of the 1946 Bihar anti-Muslim riots, reporting tens of thousands of Muslim deaths, had reached the Frontier, severely damaging the Khudai Khidmatgar's popularity due to their Congress affiliation. As a result, the Muslim League's slogan, "Islam is in danger," gained currency in the province. When Nehru arrived at Peshawar Airport, he was greeted by a large and hostile Muslim league demonstration. He had to be taken out through a back door. Nehru then initiated the tour of Tribal areas.[2]

Bacha Khan viewed the Maliks of tribal areas as stooges of the British since they were in the pay of British. This stance naturally rubbed the tribal Maliks the wrong way.The two brothers had expressed their disdain for the tribal Maliks to Nehru. The British mostly denied Bacha Khan access to the tribal areas, thus preventing him from gaining a foothold there. Moreover, the prestige of Bacha Khan and his brother, Dr. Khan Sahib, was significantly diminished in the eyes of the Pashtun tribesmen when they learned that the brothers' children had married non-Muslim Indians. 

The first town in tribal territory on Nehru's itinerary was Miranshah, where he was to address an assembly of Utmanzai Wazirs. Bacha Khan opened the proceedings by telling the Wazir that Nehru had heard of how they had been oppressed by the Firangis (british) and had decided to come and investigate their condition. They were poor and the new Indian government was determined to give them schools, to teach them their religion, to build hospitals and to civilize them. This speech by Bacha Khan failed to have an impression on the Utmanzai Wazirs. One of the Wazirs replied that that Abdul Ghaffar had got it all wrong. The Utmanzai Wazirs were oppressed by no one, nor did they need instruction in teaching of Islam from a man whose son had married a Parsi and whose niece (Dr.Khan Sahib's daughter Marium) was married to a Christian Indian. This remark infuriated Dr.Khan Sahib who called them paid toadles of the British Political Agent. Offended, the jirga walked out in protest.

At Razmak fort Nehru met a group of Wazir tribesmen who were regarded as outlaws by the British and on account of that they were not admitted to the Razmak fort where the official talks took place. But Nehru insited on talking to them and declared that he had obtained much information through the contact. Presumely these 'outlaws' were supporters of the Faqir of Ipi, who held favourable views of Bacha Khan and was in contact with him.

Nehru then visited the Mahsud territory in South Waziristan and addressed an assembly of Mahsud maliks there. The tribesmen were in the habit of looking down upon Indian-Hindus, who were found in their areas as serfs. So their eyebrows were raised when Nehru, a Hindu, was looking down upon them as slaves of the British. Nehru bluntly told them that they were debauched by the British bribery. This remark did not please the Mahsud maliks but they kept listening. Again, Nehru said that he would set them free from slavery of the British. Someone from the Mahsuds replied that they were not the slaves of British and they were certainly not going to be his slaves. He referred to Nehru as "Kotanai" (a contemptous word of Pashtuns for Indians) and said that if they had to deal with any Indian, it would be Jinnah. This enraged the Nehru and he called them pitiful pensioners of the British. It struck a nerve of one of the Mahsud maliks named Mehr Dil, who had recieved the title of "Khan Sahib" from the British. Mehr Dil told Nehru: ''Hindu, if the British pay us money, there is a good reason. Our private parts are of extraordinary size as you will find out to your cost before long". With that Mehr-Dil advanced towards Nehru with intention of giving him a backhanded slap, but the the Political agent intervened. Nehru said he was more powerful than the British and had kicked them out, swinging his foot. The Mahsuds greeted this with laughter and the meeting broke up in disorder. 

The news of these incidents had reached the maliks of Ahmadzai Wazirs at Wana and they refused to meet Nehru and the Khan brothers. Nehru journeyed onto Janduola, where in contrast to Waziristan, they were treated warmly by the tribesmen. The Political Agent at Jandola was a Hindu named Diwan Shivsaran Lal. Nehru's next stop was Khyber Pass, But the Afridis refused to grant usual tribal protection and the recently reconstituted Khyber rifles were called in to protect the party against against sniping and stone throwing. After tea in Torkham, they returned to Peshawar without meeting an Afridi. 

Nehru then proceeded to Malakand. Local tribesmen greeted them by throwing stones at them. In the Malakand, Nehru, Khan Sahib and Bacha Khan were all injured. Nehru having been hit in the head with a brickbat. Shots from escorting troops dispersed the protestors. Local Pashtun tribesmen at Dargai also showered stones at Nehru and the Khan brothers. Someone at Dargai threw a pot filled with "night soil" (human feces) at Dr.Khan Sahib and covered him with filth all over his body.

References:

1- "The Pathan Unarmed: Opposition & Memory in the North West Frontier'' By Mukulika Banerjee, p-184

2.  ''My Life and struggle ; the autobiography of Badshah Khan''

3. ''Afghan Frontier: At the Crossroads of Conflict'' By Victoria Schofield

4- ''Ghaffar Khan, the non-violent badshah of the Pakhtuns'', By Rajmohan Gandhi

5- Life Magazine, volume 21, no.20

Related posts:

• Malik Mehr Dil Mahsud: The Pashtun Who Rebuffed and Attempted to Slap Jawaharlal Nehru

Malik Mehr-Dil Mahsud ends the conference before Nehru has finished his speech by raising his arm at Nehru. Robin Hodson (the Political Agent of South Waziristan) intervenes. Photo published in Life Magazine, November 11, 1946.

Nehru talks with Pashtun tribal leaders outside Razmak fort, North Waziristan, 1946. From 'The Sphere', 2nd November , 1946.

Nehru shakes hands with one of the maliks of Waziristan at Razmak, 1946. Dr Khan Sahib accompanies him.

Mehsud Tribal Maliks sit in semi-circle, listening to Nehru who is pointing finger at them for added emphasis

Nehru's Route is guarded by Khyber rifles, who have just driven off some tribesmen with rifle fire. The troops are now crouched in a cut by the side of the road to protect Nehru in case tribesmen return when Nehru resumes his journey

tribesmen hurl stone at Nehru convoy from embankment near landi kotel fort

Nehru examines hole in the windshield

Demonstrations Against Nehru in Peshawar, October 23, 1946. Muslem Leaguers demonstrating against Nehru, after breaking through the road-block, marching towards the residence of Dr. Khan Sahib with whom Nehru stayed at Peshawar.

Tribesmen walk out

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