What unites G-20 leaders in India?

As the forthcoming G 20 summit is going to take place after couple of days in national capital, there is a place that can unites many G 20 nations. If you roam around inside the York cemetery near India Gate, you would bind to see a small grave that unites US, Brazil and Japan, the three major G-20 member countries. The small symbolic grave belongs to those unfortunate passengers of Japan Air Lines that was crashed on fateful June 14, 1972 in the barren land in South Delhi. All together 82 passengers were perished in the crash. The ill-fated plane was mainly carrying passengers from Japan, Brazil and US. Japan Air Lines flight from International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand to Palam International Airport in New Delhi. On June 14, 1972, the plane crashed short of the New Delhi airport, killing 82 of 87 occupants: 10 of 11 crew members, and 72 of 76 passengers. Four people on the ground were also killed.

The epitaph written on the grave announces: ‘In the memory of those US, Brazilian and Japanese passengers of ill fated plane.”

George Solomon of Delhi Brotherhood society and priest of Pitampura church says, “I place flowers at the symbolic grave as and when I visit the grave. I think US President Joe Biden, Brazil President Lula da Silva and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida must visit the symbolic grave of their compatriots and place wreath there.”

Sixteen of the dead were Americans. Brazilian actress Leila Diniz was also among those killed. The sole Indian passenger on the flight was Dr K K P Narasinga Rao, a senior official of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

The exact cause of the accident remains disputed. Investigators representing Japan pointed to the possibility of a false glide path signal causing the crash. Indian investigators claimed the crash was caused by pilot error, specifically the captain ignoring instrument indications and not having sight of the runway. “I feel bad that nobody from US, Japan or Brazil visit the grave. It is high time that the visiting leaders should be told about it,” says George Solomon.

Will Japan PM meet our ‘Japanese’?

Meanwhile, the Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would like to meet the tender looking diminutive Katsu Sana, 87 while he would be in Delhi. Katsu Saan is also known as Katusa behn. She has not missed even a single all religion prayer since she was first asked to join it way back in 1969. She recites Buddhist prayer on October 2 and on January 30. Japanese by birth, Katsu Saan came to India in 1959 to study Buddhism in the land of Buddha. In the process, she taught both Hindi and Gandhi and thoughts as well. “While exploring Buddhism here I started loving India deeply. That has forced to me to stay here for rest of my life. I learnt Hindi and the life and times Gandhi ji from Kaka sahab Kalalker in Delhi,” informs Katsu Saan, who looks after the affairs of the Vishay Shanty Stupak, also known as the World Peace Pagoda, located in the heart of Delhi in the Indiraprastha Park.

South Korean war memorial in Delhi

And when South Korean President Moon Jae-in will move to his hotel after his arrival here in capital on next September 8 to take part in the G20 summit, he may not visit the South Korean War Memorial. However, he could visit there at Thimayya Park in Delhi Cantonment area during his almost four days stay here. It is not very far from the Army Base hospital.

Alas, not many people are aware of the fact that the capital has a South Korean war memorial too built at Thimayya Park. The South Korea greatly owes to India for sending medical and custodian forces during the Korean War from 1950-53. “ Both India and South Korea agreed to build a war memorial here to commemorate the service India had provided to South Korea during the war time," South Korea's envoy in India Shin Bong-kil once said.

Well, such memorials are there in all the 22 countries that had helped the South Korea when it was fighting a grim war with North Korea. There is also a bust of Gurudev Rabindra nath Tagore is there. He is much respected there since he wrote a poem on the great heritage of Korea in 1929. “There is a stamp of Koren architecture there in war memorial. The South Korean had government has requested to Indian government to allot a piece of land in Thimayya Park for emotional reasons. Gen. Thimayya is not only an Indian military hero. He is also a hero of the Korean War. It has been decades since the end of the Korean war but even to this day he is remembered by Koreans with gratitude and affection for his tactical support,” sources said. India also had rushed 3500 custodian forces to assist South Korea in the post-war settlement for the prisoners of war while other countries sent their combat forces. India played a neutral country and contributed in a peaceful manner.

An acclaimed Delhi based architect late Anup Kothari had designed the South Korean embassy in Delhi. “I am very proud of the fact that I was responsible for the designs of South Korean, Bulgarian and Ethiopian missions. An interesting thing happened when I was designing the South Korean embassy. The ambassador wanted me to make a South Korean pagoda in the campus. So he asked me, would you like to go to South Korea. Newsweek had covered a very famous architect, Professor Kim, who had won a competition from the queen of Iran. So I mentioned, if I have to go to South Korea, I have to meet this man. So the ambassador said, alright, we'll arrange it. And I had the opportunity to spend a week with him and see his work, meet his people. His office was quite international,” Kothari narrated this anecdote to this writer couple of years ago in his office. Kothari had also designed PTI building at Delhi and Jaslok Hospital in Mumbai.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)