Abdul Khadir Bawazir

ABDUL KHADIR BAWAZIR

Date of Death: 31^st December, 1931

            Abdul Khadir Bawazir, who left the life of luxury and wealth to choose the path of struggle for the emancipation of the mother land form the shackles of colonial rule, was born in wealthy business family of Gujarat.  Having acquired business acumen right from his childhood, he went to South Africa to trade in Arabian horses and horse carriages.  He settled well in Transvaal as a rich merchant.  As he did Imamath at Johannesburg Maszid, he was also called respectfully as ‘Imam Saheb’.  He came into contact with Gandhiji at South Africa for the first time in 1903.  Being a man of independent ideas, Abdul Khadir soon developed intimacy with Gandhiji and joined him in Phoenix settlement established by Gandhiji in 1904.  He gave up his horse trade and luxurious life to lead the life of a ‘fakir’ in the Phoenix with Gandhiji.  He was in the vanguard of all the agitations undertaken by Indians against the apartheid in South Africa.  In 1907, he served the people as the president of the prestigious ‘Hamidia Islamic Society’.  He was imprisoned in 1908.  When Gandhiji returned to India in 1914, Abdul Khadir abandoned his trade in horse carriages and followed Gandhiji to India.  Abdul Khadir and his family member’s lived in Sabarmathi Ashram.  They worked in printing press organised by Ashram.  While he worked as compositor in the press, his Begum and two daughters Amina and Fathima attended other tasks in the press and Ashram.  When the marriage of his eldest daughter Amina took place in the Ashram, Gandhiji himself invited the guests instead of Imam Saheb, describing Imam Saheb was his brother.  Imam Saheb and his daughters were arrested and imprisoned for taking part in the national movement on several occasions.  In 1928, Abdul Khadir participated actively in the ‘Bardoli Royts Satyagraha’ along with Sardar Vallabhai Patel.  When Gandhiji started ‘Dandi March’ in 1930, Abdul Khadir walked in the forefront of the march, due to which he was arrested and jailed.  In jail, he fell sick and his conditions deteriorated.  He was released in 1931.  Imam Saheb Abdul Khadir Bawazir, who was praised by the Gandhiji as a ‘great man who sacrificed his life for Satyagraha and Hindu Muslim unity’, passed away on 31^st December, 1931.