The Judge of Tokyo Trial- Radha Binod Pal,New Delhi Cables Do anyone in India know this piece of history? Answer must be a firm &qu...
The Judge of Tokyo Trial- Radha Binod Pal,New Delhi Cables
Do anyone in India know this piece of history? Answer must be a
firm "No" from most of us! Now please read on.
Remembered in Japan, forgotten in India........
The day was 12 November, 1948. Tokyo Trials are going on in a huge
garden house on the outskirts of Tokyo, the trial of fifty-five Japanese war
criminals including Japan's then Prime Minister Tojo Hideki, after losing WWII.
Of these, twenty-eight people have been identified as Class-A
(crimes against peace) war criminals. If proved, the only punishment is the
"death penalty".
His name was Radha Binod Pal a Judge from India.He was born in the small village of Salimpur, Kushtia District, East
Bengal, present Bangladesh., his mother made a living
by taking care of a household and their cow. For feeding the cow, Radha used to
take the cow to the land near a local primary school.
When the teacher taught in school, Radha used to listen from
outside. One day the school inspector came to visit the school.He asked some questions of the students after entering the class.Everyone was
silent. Radha said from outside the classroom window.... "I know the
answer to all your questions." And he answered all the questions one by
one. Inspector said... "Wonderful!.. Which class do you read?" The answer came, "... I do not read...I graze a
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 education of Radha Binod Pal had been started. Then after
passing the school final with the highest number in the district, he was
admitted to Presidency College. After taking M Sc. 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 after all.”
Coming back again to the International Court of Tokyo.In his convincing argument to the rest of the jurists he signified
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 nuclear
bombardment.
The judges were forced to drop many of the accused from Class-A to
B, after seeing the logic written on twelve hundred thirty-two pages by Radha
Binod Pal. These Class-B war criminals were saved by him from a 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 honor of the country, 'Kokko Kunsao'. Two busy roads
in Tokyo and Kyotto have been named after him. The law has been included in the
syllabus of his sentence. 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 (27 January 1886 - 10 January 1967) name is
remembered in the history of Japan. In Tokyo, Japan, he has a museum and a
statue in Yasukuni shrine.
Japan University has a research center in his name. Because of his
judgment on Japanese war criminals, Chinese people hate him.
He is the author of many books related to law. In India, almost
nobody knows him and perhaps not even his neighbors know him! A hindi movie was
made on him, Tokyo Trials, starring Irfan Khan but that movie never made
headlines.
He is just one of the many many underrated & unknown Indians.
I sincerely request you to read it at least and if you felt it's worth
so, you can share it also
No comments
Please donot enter any spam link in the comment box.