Personalities # 21 - Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis

Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis born October 10, 1910 in Solapur District, Maharashtra was one of five Indian physicians dispatched to China to provide medical assistance during the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. Besides being known for his dedication and perseverance, he has also been regarded as an example for Sino-Indian friendship and collaboration. Along with the Canadian Dr. Norman Bethune, he continues to be revered by the Chinese people. In April 2005 both their graves were covered completely in flowers donated by the Chinese people during the Qingming Festival a day used by the Chinese to commemorate their ancestors. In 1937, after the Japanese invasion of China, the communist General Zhu De requested Jawaharlal Nehru to send Indian physicians to China. Mao Zedong mourned his death on December 9, 1942 by observing that "The army has lost a helping hand, the nation has lost a friend. Let us always bear in mind his internationalist spirit."