For children: A new book presents short biographies of 50 Indians who received Padma awards

Gostha Behari Pal, Padma Shri (1962)

In the world of football (or soccer, as some call it), there was an incredible player named Pal. He played every single game without shoes! While his opponents had fancy football shoes that gave them an advantage on the muddy field, Pal liked to play barefoot. But shoes or no shoes, Pal soon earned the nickname Great Wall of China because his opponents felt they just couldn’t get the ball past him. Playing against Pal felt like playing against a wall!

In 1936, Pal and his team were playing a match against an all-English team in Kolkata. The referee made decisions based on the players’ skin colour instead of how they played. Pal knew this was wrong and decided to stand up against this unfairness. He told his teammates to lie down on the ground during the match. All the players lay on the ground in silent protest, as if to say, “We won’t play until things are fair.” In a peaceful way, the players showed they wanted things to change. The match authorities wanted to punish Pal and his team, but Pal walked off the field before they could do anything.

Pal retired after this incredible match....

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