PANDURANG KHANKHOJE REALIZED EARLY THAT LIFE UNDER THE BRITISH YOKE WAS NOT FOR HIM. THE THEN RULERS OF INDIA WERE EQUALLY QUICK TO GRASP THE FACT THAT THE YOUNG MAN SPELT TROUBLE FOR THE AUTHORITIES, AND CAST A DRAGNET FOR HIM WHICH COMPELLED KHANKHOJE TO FLEE ABROAD. THE ANGRY YOUNG MAN TRAINED IN THE MAKING OF EXPLOSIVES AND IN WARFARE, AND ROAMED THE GLOBE LOOKING FOR LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE WHO EQUALLED HIM IN THEIR DESIRE TO END BRITISH DOMINANCE. HE BECAME A FOUNDER - MEMBER OF THE RADICAL GHADAR PARTY IN AMERICA WHICH WORKED UNRELENTINGLY TOWARDS GATHERING FOLLOWERS SYMPATHETIC TO ITS CAUSE. KHANKHOJE’S COMMITMENT TOOK HIM TO SEVERAL COUNTRIES—JAPAN, AMERICA, PERSIA, GERMANY AND RUSSIA—ALWAYS ON THE RUN, BEFORE HE FOUND SAFETY IN MEXICO, A COUNTRY THAT STRUCK HIM AS BEING ODDLY LIKE HIS OWN. HERE, THE REVOLUTIONARY MARRIED, HAD A FAMILY AND TURNED HIS ENERGIES TO AGRICULTURE, GOING ON TO BECOME AN INTERNATIONAL AUTHORITY ON HIGH-YIELDING FOOD CROPS, ESPECIALLY A NEW VARIETY OF CORN. BUT ALL THE WHILE, HIS HEART WAS SET ON RETURNING TO HIS HOMELAND. IT WAS FORTY YEARS BEFORE HE WAS ABLE TO RETURN TO HIS COUNTRY, BUT HE DID SEE INDIA AGAIN, AND HE SAW HER GAIN HER FREEDOM BEFORE HE DIED. IN I SHALL NEVER ASK FOR PARDON, KHANKHOJE’S DAUGHTER, SAVITRI SAWHNEY, DIPS INTO HIS DIARIES TO RESURRECT THE VOICE OF A HITHERTO SILENT HERO OF INDIA’S STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM.
ब्रिटिशांच्या जोखडाखालचे आयुष्य; हे आपले आयुष्य नव्हे, याची जाणीव पांडुरंग खानखोजेंना लवकरच झाली. अर्थात त्यावेळचे भारताचे शासनकर्तेही तितकेच सावध होते. हा तरुण आपल्याला त्रासदायक ठरणार, आपल्या एकहाती, अनिर्बंध सत्तेला विरोध करणार, हे त्यांच्या लक्षात आले होते. स्वत:मधील दाहक क्षात्रतेजाचा शोध घेतच खानखोजेंनी देश सोडला आणि नजरे समोरचे स्वतंत्रमातृभूमीचे स्वप्न क्षणभरही नजरेआड होऊ न देता, हा स्वाभिमानी राष्ट्रभक्त देशोदेशी, खंडा-खंडांतून हिंडला.
स्फोटके बनविणे आणि युद्धशास्त्रात प्रशिक्षण घेतल्यानंतर, अन्यब्रिटिशांची सत्ता उलथवून टाकण्याचे स्वप्न पाहणा आपल्यासारख्याच सहकार्यांच्या शोधात खानखोजे जगभर हिंडले. अमेरिकेमध्ये त्यांनी अभिनव अशा ’गदरपार्टी’ची स्थापना केली. त्यातल्या बऱ्याच सभासदांनानंतर ब्रिटिशांनी फासावर चढविले.
परंतु मनमात्र सदासर्वकाळ मातृभूमीकडे ओढ घेत होते. काहीही करून खानखोजेंना भारतात परत यायचेच होते. ही गोष्ट घडायला तब्बल चाळीस वर्षांचा कालावधी जावा लागला खरा; परंतु ते भारतात परत आलेच!