The Tokyo Trials and India’s Radhabinod Pal

Few of us realize how narrowly India missed experiencing the horrors of the Second World War. Japan wreaked havoc all across Southeast Asia and it was a miracle that we managed to hold them off at Kohima.

After their capitulation, the Allied Powers wasted no time in setting up the Tokyo Trials, taking inspiration from the Nuremberg Trials in Germany. Eleven countries were represented in the trials – the Big Four Allied powers, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Netherlands, China, Philippines and India. Notable omissions were Indonesia and Vietnam as both the Dutch and French planned to hold on to them after the War.

Of the 28 accused, seven of them ended up in the gallows. Tojo Hideki, Prime Minister of Japan during the War was the most high-profile of the lot.

The sole dissenting verdict during the trial was by India’s Radhabinod Pal. He challenged the legal basis and the moral authority of the trials. According to him, the trials were nothing other than victor’s justice being imparted to the defeated. Pal is understandably, a national hero in Japan today.

Apparently, his dissent sent shock waves even through the Government of India. Nehru, despite his anti-colonial outlook was aghast but refrained from interfering. What could have driven Pal’s dissent? The INA trials were ongoing at the Red Fort in Delhi, the Naval Ratings Mutiny was a recent memory and the charged anti-imperial atmosphere within Asia must have played a role. But to be blind to the statistics and testimonies of survivors and finding no wrongdoing is perplexing. Japan was responsible for deaths ranging from 3 to 10 million. (Pearl Harbour, the Nanjing Massacres, the Bataan Death March and the Burma-Thailand Railway are just some of the notorious instances of Japanese brutality).

Pal has a spot for himself in Tokyo’s Yasukuni Shrine which venerates their martyrs. The Japanese leadership’s fascination with this shrine still rankles Korea and China who see it as an affront to their tragedies.

For a detailed dive into the trials, check out Gary Bass’ Judgement at Tokyo. A lousy adaptation of the trials is also streaming on Netflix (Tokyo Trial). Pal is played by Irfan Khan in the series and I couldn’t help but feel sad seeing him. Gone too soon!