On 11th December 1946 at the Constituent Assembly Khan Abdul Gafar Khan [North West Frontier Province Muslim] spoke as follows;
“Mr. Chairman, Brothers and Sisters, I had no intention of taking part in the debates of this Assembly, you all know that I do not like making speeches and praising persons but some of my brethren have compelled me to say something at this occasion I congratulate Babu Rajendra Prasad on your behalf and on behalf of NWFP for the great honour done to him by this House. I know Babu Rajendra Prasad well, people who happen to live to together and in other places of pain and sorrow get good opportunity to know each other. I am proud that I have lived a long time in prison with Babu Rajendra Prasad, I know him well, I know his habit and I can say the greatest quality he possess and which every Indian should possesses is that his mind is free from communal bias. Unfortunately people in India have different prejudices. You all know of Hindu food and Muslim food – Babu Rajendra Prasad is free from all prejudices. I feel with great sorrow the absence from this House of our Muslim League President, I regret to say that my Muslim brethren are displeased with the people of the North West Frontier Province, especially with me. They say, that I am not with them, manier time while I am in a train I am told such things I always tell them that I am always with them [Muslims] never separating myself for one moment from them, however, they say I am not with the League I tell them that League is a Political Party, it is not necessary that one should be with it, every man is free with his own opinion, no one should be compelled in ways which are employed these days, everybody has a right to do what he honestly consider good for his country and people, nobody has got a right to ask me why I am on the side of the Congress, I admit that. The People of NWFP are much behind in literacy and in wealth, our Province is a small one while yours are larger but I can say that the people of NWFP is not ahead or in no way behind you in many things— I decide to tell my Indian brethren, why we are with Mahatma Gandhi, we believe that the Congress is trying to free this Country and that the Congress can remove the poverty of this Country we are with the Congress because we are tired of slavery. It is true that we are behind you in education but in the war of non-violence of 1942 only our Province fought it in non-violent way— I tell you that whether we are Hindus or Muslims we can the people only by being non-violence because violence breed it and non-violence create love. You cannot bring peace to the World by violence, one war will compel to fight a second war, more disastrous than the first. Violence begets hate in the minds of people and I am glad Babu Rajendra Prasad believes in non-violence and I am sure that if he guides this House to tread the path of non-violence he will guide to success. Before I finish, I desire to speak briefly to my brethren in the House and to Babu Rajendra Prasad about our Province, I will not go into detail. Our Province is a only Muslim Province, which desire to end the British rule and drive them out of India it is not easy to realise what difficulties, what hardships and what affliction will befall us, I therefore earnestly appeal to Babu Rajendra Prasad keep this in mind we cannot succeed until roadblocks created by British are removed from our way I hope my prison Friend Babu Rajendra Prasad who has been elected the Chairman of the House and who loves us did not forget our difficulties and help us to remove this.”
Comment: The great and grand speech who is a towering personality made some writers to describe him that is Khan looks like Old Testament Prophet, the great man with a humble teaching non-violence – Salaam to him in the true spirit of Islam.
Note: Mr. Gafar Khan represented NWFP now with the great Maulana Abul Kalam Azad who was fortunate to have been born in Makkah and dedicated his services for India.