The day was 12 Nov 1948. Tokyo trials was going on in a huge garden house on the outskirts of Tokya, the trial of 55 Japanese war criminals including Japan's Prime Minister Tojo, after losing World War II. Of these, twenty eight people had been identified as Class A (Crimes against peace) war criminals. If proved, whose only punishment was "death penalty". Eleven international judges coming from all over the world were announcing it......."Guilty"......."Guilty"......"Guilty"......
Suddenly one thundered, "Not Guilty!"
A calm silence came down in the hallway. Who was this lone dissenter?
His name was Radha Binod Pal and he was from India. But in India nobody knew him.
Before going to Tokyo, he was one of the Calcutta High Court judges and for two years he was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. Born in 1886 in the Kumbh of East Bengal (now Bangladesh), he was the poor son from a poor family. In his early childhood, his mother took shelter with her son in a village called Chuadanga, adjacent to the neighbouring village. For the sake of living, his mother used to take care of the household activity and the cow. During the feeding of the cow, the boy used to travel around the local primary school and when the daily teacher taught in school, he used to listen from outside. One day the school inspector came to visit the school from the city. He asked some questions of the students after entering the class. Everyone was silent. This boy shouted from outside of the classroom window......"I know the answer to all your questions". The boy answered all the questions one by one. Inspector said....."Wonderful!" and asked, 'Which class do you read?"
The answer came,".....I do not read....I graze cow". Everyone was shocked to hear that. Calling the head teacher, the school inspector instructed the boy to take admission in school as well as provide some stipend.
This is how the education of Radha Binod Pal had started. Then after passing the school final with the highest number in the district, he was admitted to Presidency College. After taking MSc from the University of Calcutta, he studied law again and got the Doctorate title. In the context of choosing the opposite of two things he once said, "Law and Mathematics are not so different at all".
Coming back, again, in the International Court of Tokyo. In his convincing argument, the rest of the jurists signify that the Allies (Winners of WWII) also violated the principles of restraint and neutrality of international law. In addition to ignoring Japan's surrender hints, they killed two hundred thousand innocent people using deadly nuclear bombardment. Most of the judges were forced to drop many accused from Class-A to B, seeing the logic written on twelve hundred thirty two pages by Radha Binod Pal. These Class-B war criminals were saved by him from sure death penalty. His verdict in the international court gave him and India a world-famous reputation.
Japan respects this great man. In 1966, Emperor Hirohito awarded him the highest civilian honour of the country, "Kokko Kunsao". Two busy roads in Tokyo and Kyotto have been named after him. His judgement has been included in the syllabus of law. In front of the Supreme Court of Tokyo, his statue has been placed. In 2007, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his desire to meet his family members in Delhi and met his son.
Dr Radha Binod Pal's (27 Jan 1886 - 10 Jan 1967) name is remembered in the history of Japan. In Tokyo, he has a museum, a street and a statue in Yasukuni shrine. Japan University has a research center in his name. Because of his judgement on Japanese war criminals, the Chinese hate him. He is the author of many books related to law. In India, almost nobody knows him, even, perhaps, his neighbours! A Hindi movie was made on him starring Irfan Khan but that movie never made headlines.
This man is one of the most underrated Indians. Sad!
Tailpiece.
Had got up at our usual time. The inverter, providing emergency supply for power requirements, was replaced with a new one that has a six year guarantee. Had gone to town, after that, to buy a few items that Lekha had in her slop chit.
Bina, the maid, had called up in the evening to say that she'd be turning up for work tomorrow - the national strike by the trade unions, along with the hartal in the state, notwithstanding!
Suddenly one thundered, "Not Guilty!"
A calm silence came down in the hallway. Who was this lone dissenter?
His name was Radha Binod Pal and he was from India. But in India nobody knew him.
Before going to Tokyo, he was one of the Calcutta High Court judges and for two years he was the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calcutta. Born in 1886 in the Kumbh of East Bengal (now Bangladesh), he was the poor son from a poor family. In his early childhood, his mother took shelter with her son in a village called Chuadanga, adjacent to the neighbouring village. For the sake of living, his mother used to take care of the household activity and the cow. During the feeding of the cow, the boy used to travel around the local primary school and when the daily teacher taught in school, he used to listen from outside. One day the school inspector came to visit the school from the city. He asked some questions of the students after entering the class. Everyone was silent. This boy shouted from outside of the classroom window......"I know the answer to all your questions". The boy answered all the questions one by one. Inspector said....."Wonderful!" and asked, 'Which class do you read?"
The answer came,".....I do not read....I graze cow". Everyone was shocked to hear that. Calling the head teacher, the school inspector instructed the boy to take admission in school as well as provide some stipend.
This is how the education of Radha Binod Pal had started. Then after passing the school final with the highest number in the district, he was admitted to Presidency College. After taking MSc from the University of Calcutta, he studied law again and got the Doctorate title. In the context of choosing the opposite of two things he once said, "Law and Mathematics are not so different at all".
Coming back, again, in the International Court of Tokyo. In his convincing argument, the rest of the jurists signify that the Allies (Winners of WWII) also violated the principles of restraint and neutrality of international law. In addition to ignoring Japan's surrender hints, they killed two hundred thousand innocent people using deadly nuclear bombardment. Most of the judges were forced to drop many accused from Class-A to B, seeing the logic written on twelve hundred thirty two pages by Radha Binod Pal. These Class-B war criminals were saved by him from sure death penalty. His verdict in the international court gave him and India a world-famous reputation.
Japan respects this great man. In 1966, Emperor Hirohito awarded him the highest civilian honour of the country, "Kokko Kunsao". Two busy roads in Tokyo and Kyotto have been named after him. His judgement has been included in the syllabus of law. In front of the Supreme Court of Tokyo, his statue has been placed. In 2007, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe expressed his desire to meet his family members in Delhi and met his son.
Dr Radha Binod Pal's (27 Jan 1886 - 10 Jan 1967) name is remembered in the history of Japan. In Tokyo, he has a museum, a street and a statue in Yasukuni shrine. Japan University has a research center in his name. Because of his judgement on Japanese war criminals, the Chinese hate him. He is the author of many books related to law. In India, almost nobody knows him, even, perhaps, his neighbours! A Hindi movie was made on him starring Irfan Khan but that movie never made headlines.
This man is one of the most underrated Indians. Sad!
Tailpiece.
Had got up at our usual time. The inverter, providing emergency supply for power requirements, was replaced with a new one that has a six year guarantee. Had gone to town, after that, to buy a few items that Lekha had in her slop chit.
Bina, the maid, had called up in the evening to say that she'd be turning up for work tomorrow - the national strike by the trade unions, along with the hartal in the state, notwithstanding!
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