CHAPTER VIH
THE TWO GANDHIS CONFER
An important stage in Gandhiji's Frontier mission
was reached when in his quiet retreat at Utmanzai he
devoted two days to confabulate and compare notes with
Badshah Khan after his tour of the Khudai Khidmatgars
in Peshawar and Mardan Districts.
" What is your impression ? " he asked Badshah Khan.
" How do the Khudai Khidmatgars stand with regard to
non-violence ?"
" My impression, Mahatmaji," replied Badshah Khan,
" is that as they themselves admitted before us, the other
day, they are raw recruits and fall short of the standard.
There is violence in their hearts which they have not been
able altogether to cast out. They have their defects of
temper. But there is no doubt as to their sincerity. Given
a chance they can be hammered into shape and I think
the attempt is worthwhile."
Badshah Khan was dreadfully in earnest. He was
convinced that violence had been the bane of his people.
It was the deadly canker that was eating into their vitals
and was responsible, more than anything else, for their
downfall He reverted to that theme later in the course
of a conversation with Gandhiji He was describing to him.
the natural beauty and richness of the country around
and, as is usual with him on such occasions, was in an
ecstacy. But his brow was clouded as he passed on from
nature to ' what man unto man has done'. " Mahatmaji,
this land, so rich in fruit and grain, might well have been
a smiling little Eden upon this earth, but it has today
fallen under a blight. My conviction is daily growing
deeper that more than anything else, violence has been
the bane of us Pathans in this province. It shattered our
solidarity and tore us with wretched internal feuds. The
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