Building Bridges of Harmony: Khudai Khidmatgar’s Legacy of Peace and Compassion
Shri Sant Rudra Giri Ji Maharaj and Faisal Khan
In an era marked by rising tensions and deepening divides, the work of Khudai Khidmatgar stands as a beacon of hope and harmony. Revived by peace activist Faisal Khan, this movement carries forward the anti-imperial and interfaith legacy of its founder, Abdul Ghaffar Khan—affectionately known as the ‘Frontier Gandhi.’ A close ally and friend of Mahatma Gandhi, Abdul Ghaffar Khan believed in nonviolence and the power of love to transform societies. Today, Faisal Khan and his team of Khudai Khidmatgars honor that vision by fostering interreligious cooperation and grassroots connections across India.
The recent reflections of the Khudai Khidmatgar team provide a powerful example of their mission in action. Their visits to Shri Sant Rudra Giri Ji Maharaj and Shri Ram Prasad Bhagat Ji illustrate a deep commitment to stepping beyond comfortable spaces to engage with diverse communities. These encounters are not just symbolic; they are transformative moments that reinforce the movement’s belief in the power of human connection to counter the forces of hatred and division.
Faisal Khan’s revival of Khudai Khidmatgar builds on the historic precedent set by the group’s original vision of unity and justice. Just as Abdul Ghaffar Khan’s Pashtun followers demonstrated nonviolence in the face of imperial oppression, today’s Khudai Khidmatgar expands that ethos to address the challenges of modern India. Their approach is refreshingly hands-on: instead of focusing solely on large seminars or insular gatherings, they take the message of Sadbhavna (harmony) to villages, local communities, and individuals who continue to light the lamps of love and humanity.
This recent journey took the team first to the ashram of Shri Sant Rudra Giri Ji Maharaj, where they were met with an atmosphere of simplicity and humility that resonated deeply with Kabir’s timeless verses:
“Sadhu bhukha bhav ka, dhan ka bhukha nahi
Dhan ka bhukha jo phire, so to sadhu nahi.”
The saint’s openness and authenticity reminded the team that such exemplars of compassion still exist, quietly inspiring those who seek a path of peace. The second visit, to Nagla Hiraman village, brought them to Shri Ram Prasad Bhagat Ji, a dedicated follower of Kabir’s grahastha tradition and an advocate for mutual respect and harmony. His vision of creating a center for Sadbhavna in the village stands as a testament to the enduring relevance of grassroots efforts in building interfaith solidarity.
The Khudai Khidmatgar team’s reflections highlight a vital truth: the work of peace begins with opening our hearts and reaching out, even when it is inconvenient or uncomfortable. These visits are more than symbolic gestures—they are acts of courage and faith in humanity. They remind us that the seeds of love and compassion, when planted in the soil of trust and mutual respect, have the power to grow into towering trees of hope.
As we share the team’s reflections and photographs from their journey, let us take inspiration from their efforts. In reviving the legacy of Khudai Khidmatgar, Faisal Khan and his team remind us of the transformative potential of interfaith engagement. Their work challenges us to broaden our own circles of inclusion and deepen our commitment to harmony in a world that desperately needs it.
In their own words:
Khudai Khidmatgar team Visited Shri Sant Rudar Giri Ji Mahraj and Baba Shri Ram Parsad Bhagar ji for Peace and Harmony .
We were getting insistent requests from two places to meet. In view of present times as one never knows when someone's sentiments might get hurt. Now that everything is getting divided or is moving fast towards division. In these divisive times, there are a large number of people who are unprejudiced, however we are yet to reach them. Our meetings, seminars , camps and closed door spaces already full of same repetitive individuals who are already filled with humanity, love and harmony. We have so many fitters in the paths towards us, so that in the end we are all homogenized with the same people. It's surprising that instead of being concerned, we take pride in this with a complex that we are selective few and are wiser than others. While at the same time we also continue to claim that we are liberal, open to all, inclusive etc.
It is an undeniable fact that we need to open our hearts more than our minds for the work of social harmony i.e sadbhavna. Let's get to point now. When we had already committed a visit to Saint Rudra Giri Ji and finally decided to visit without stalling. Initially the famous Bhagwat story teller and saint Rudra Giri Ji Maharaj who is often travelling insisted visit in any nearby kathas happening in bharatpur, agra or mathura however I replied that we would certainly visit him rather in his own village as people's sentiments get hurt very often these days and all kinds of people are present at big Katha events.
Khudai Khidmatgar team reached his village and were overwhelmed with his calm and simplistic aura. No claim of superiority, simple - uncomplicated interactions, no material luxury, a mat and some chairs for the visitors to sit .It is very rare to find such saints in this era .
Kabir's verses perfectly fit Rudragiri Ji Maharaj in present times
"Sadhu bhukha bhav ka, dhan ka bhukha nahi
Dhan ka bhukha jo phire, so to sadhu nahi "
We left Maharaj's ashram with a promise of every possible cooperation for humanity and with a commitment that we would also visit and join Katha next time.
Three of our team members were participating is such interaction for the first time and were conscious if something might go wrong, it was hard to believe that such saints who talk about love, harmony and friendship exist even .We believe that such visits accomplish two things. First is to overcome fear which brings courage, second is assurance in such initiatives without which it is not even possible to carry any vision or mission.
The second such meeting is of village Nagla Hiraman near Fatehpur Sikri. we have been associated with Shri Ram Prasad Bhagat ji, the President of Shri Ram Mandir of the village, for a long time now. However, I haven't met him since the time I went to jail. He has been calling since then to meet at least once. He is a follower of Kabir's grahastha tradition and is very simple, truthful and advocates mutual respect, compassion and good will. He organizes satsang for all the surrounding villages on the 21st of every month in the Shri Ram temple of the village few years ago even I also got a chance to express my views on religion in such satsang. Shri Ram Prasad ji expressed his desire to create a center of harmony i.e sadbhavnaa he is willing to arrange land and other resources for the same. Post interaction we also inspected the proposed land and moved towards our next stop Fatehpur Sikri.
In the end, I would like to reiterate that we keep crying day and night that people are not with us. Whereas if we reach the people with their ways and knock their hearts then people do listen you , support you and open the closed doors.
Our visiting team comprised of 8 young individuals while we left 5 discontent one's as we could not accommodate them in the vehicle . I am also very thankful to the team of Khudai Khidmatgar, who are ever excited to join me during such visits even when we caution them that they can only join at their own risk. They can join only if they have faith in humanity.
We all have firm belief that if we really want to work for harmony i.e Sadbhavna then we need to mend our ways. We need to look beyond big seminars and long lectures and push our horizons to reach on the doorsteps in villages far away where among the people, who are still standing with the lamp of love and humanity. Meet them, interact with them and join them, certainly things will become beautiful . Khudai Khidmatgar intends to reach every such heart where even a single smile of love is alive. From here only the seeds of love will grow into tall trees. we must to have faith in humans to work for humanity. Certainly we will be able to find a way. In such meetings and interactions we meet tall trees of humanity and compassion which can produce countless seeds of hope.
