Justice Dr. Radha Binod Pal, Hiroshima Day and World Peace

    Justice Dr. Radha Binod Pal

The name of Justice Dr. Radha Binod Pal is very closely concerned with the Hiroshima Day (6th August) and worldwide peace. His activities and directions helped to make basic socio-economic and psychological change towards peace building and anti-war environment not only for Japan but also for the powerful countries of the world.

Radha Binod Pal- not merely a name of person or institution, but something more than that, at least to the people of Bangladesh. But owing to unknown causes, he is not so known to the inhabitants of our country. Even he is almost unknown to the place where he was born in. So far I remember, his name is not being cited in the discussion of local or national platforms and development or underdevelopment issues in Bangladesh.

He was not a man of pre-historic period; he was born in 1886 (January 27th) and passed away in 1967 (January 10th), just before four years of our liberation war. He was born in village Taragunia under Daulatpur Upazilla of Kushtia District- this was his maternal uncle’s home. His father’s home was in nearby kakiladah village under Mirpur Upazila, Kushtia. 

‘So long Japan will exist, no Bengali will die for crisis of money or food- Japan will be the interest-free friend of Bengalis for ever’- the late emperor of Japan Hirohito declared this on the respectful memory of Radha Binod Pal. His declaration was not limited to a speech only; Japan plays its glorious role as the front-liners in development activities of Bangladesh until today.

Among a lot of dignified recognitions, Radha Binod Pal was mainly known as Judge of the International Military Affairs on Far East (1946-1948), Judge of Kolkata High Court (1941-1943), Vice Chancellor of Kolkata University (1944-1946), Judge of International Court (1957),  Chairman of International Law Commission (1958-1962), etc.

The childhood of Radha Binod Pal was strongly affected by poverty. In his infancy, his father started religious life- Sannyas. Some of his merciful relatives carried the expenditures of his education and others. This was possible only for his extraordinary merit and intelligence. He passed Entrance in 1903 and FA in 1905 from Rajshahi College. He completed his Honors and Master’s degree in 1907 and 1908 respectively from Presidency College of Kolkata.

Radha Binod Pal started his service life as a lecturer in mathematics at Ananda Mohon College, Mymensingh. He continued his study on law simultaneously and completed BL course in 1911. He stood first class first in LLM examination in 1920 under Kolkata University and joined as lawyer in Kolkata High Court. He completed his Ph. D. degree in 1924 on Law under the same university. He was appointed the vice chancellor of Kolkata University when he was judge in Kolkata High Court. He returned his native village in Kushtia after successful completion of those responsibilities to observe his retied life. Just then, he received the request letter to work as judge with the International Military Affairs on Far East (Tokyo Trial).

The leaders of allied power of the World War 2 committed a great mistake in appointing Dr. Pal as the judge in the Tokyo Trial. They thought that as Dr. Pal was a person of British- ruling India, he would take a role what the rest bench decided. The rest 10 judges were from USA, UK, USSR, France, Netherlands, Canada, Australia, China, New Zealand and Philippines. Dr. Pal strongly proved that a tiger is always tiger even it is put in a cage. 

After arrival in Tokyo, Radha Binod Pal realized that his appointment was only an eyewash. While all other judges of the tribunal convicted Japan for war crime, Dr. Pal in his verdict of 800 pages presented the justifications that if Japan was liable for war crime, the other countries involved with the war were equally liable. He entitled the verdict as ‘farce’ and pointed out, “It would be a great mistake if the tribunal did so because the other countries also committed war crime. In Hiroshima one lakh forty thousand and in Nagasaki seventy four thousand innocent people were died because of bombing by the USA.”  The judges from France and Netherlands wanted to support him but they could not because of prefixed secret conspiracy.  

It can be remarkably note here that Pal’s verdict was the greatest verdict in International Court until the time. Total paged=s of the verdict were 1235; 800 pages for main verdict and the rests were of observations. In 1953 the verdict was published as a book and Japan honored it as ‘the Bible of peace’. For Justice Pal, Japan got release from paying a huge amount of compensation to the allied power, though in final verdict, 7 Japanese leaders were sentenced capital punishment while 16 got lifelong imprisonment, 1 for 20 years and 1 for 7 years.

On the 6th August, 1952, Japan invited Radha Binod Pal as the chief Guest in memorial program of Hiroshima Day. On the occasion, he advised, “If japan would take part in war again, it would be the painful violation with the departed souls of Hiroshima.” Japan abode by the directions and immediately got the expected results. Japan is now unparalleled model of development, which was started on the time.

Peace and violence is always a matter of bi-lateral or multilateral. Leaving psychology of violence, Japan engaged all its power and technology in rebuilding nation by dint of far-sighted advice by Radha Binod Pal. They received the result soon. All other powerful nations followed Japan to build nation properly. And, thus, a number of regional, multi-national and international development alliance has been formed.

In 1967, Japan established Yasukuni memorials in Tokyo City in tragic memory of the diseased persons through the cruelty of World War 2. In this, a memorial stone was quietly different from others- this was for Dr. Radha Binod Pal who was neither involved to the War nor died of it. In Japan, road, avenue, museum and sculpture has been made to express gratefulness to the great personality. The Government of Japan honored him with its highest national award ‘Kokka Kunsho’ or ‘First Order of Sacred Treasure’. In 2007, when Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister of Japan visited India, also visited the residence of Proshanta Pal, the son of Dr. Pal in Kolkata.

In the context, it can be summarized here that the ideology of Dr. Pal successfully touched the ideologies four noble Bengalis of the locality- Nadia District in that time. The area where he was born in, was the birth place of divine personality and cordial friend of mankind irrespective of class, caste, group, sex, age and so on, Sree Chaitainya Dev (1486-1834)- Inspired by the moral virtue of Chaitainya,  Dr. Pal's father took sanyas; rational philosopher and theologian Fakir Lalon (1774-1890); self-taught journalist and publisher of ‘Grambarta Prokashika; Kangal Harinath Majumder (1833-1896);and,Kabiguru Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), the lifelong worshippers of mati O Manush (the land and people).  We think the meeting point of the philosophy of these great men was found in stainless patriotism and emancipation of all human being, which is captured in the personality of Radha Binod Pal.

It is also to be memorable to hearts of all Bengalis especially to Bangladeshis to preserve all glorious activities of Justice Pal. As the nation can speak loudly for Japan as the major development partner, followed by the same cause and way the nation can do so for the great man. A national institution can be established after the name of Radha Binod Pal so that the people can remember him with profound respect forever.

Very recently, I have come to understand from Mr. Mahbubul Islam and Mr. Ganesh Kumar, two officials of Justice Radha Binod Pal Smriti Sangsad, Bangladesh that they are going to make a documentary on the imitable memory of the ideal personality- It would be a noble and pleasant work for us.


Babul Chandra Sutradhar
is a human rights activist
and a researcher.