The 64th death anniversary of Dwarakanath Kotnis falls today. Largely forgotten by his compatriots, he was suddenly in the news during the recent visit of Hu Jintao.

Japan had attacked China on July 7, 1937, and occupied Peking. Jawaharlal Nehru, who was in charge of the Indian National Congress, was anguished at the Japanese atrocities on the Chinese. When Marshal Zhu De, the commander of the Eight Route Army, wrote to Nehru appealing for medical assistance, Nehru gave a call for ‘China Solidarity Day’ on January 9, 1938 and decided to send a medical team with the necessary supplies to China. The team, selected by a committee headed by Dr Jivraj Mehta, was led by Dr Mohanlal Atal and had in it young Dr Kotnis, who had just done his MBBS and was set to study further. Yenan, in North Shanxi province, was the revolutionary base area set up by the Chinese communists on the lines of the Soviets in Russia. It was here that the fighting was still on and medical aid was necessary.

Seeing the competence of Indian doctors, the Chinese left an entire hospital at Kweimow in their charge. Here Dr Kotnis conducted a number of operations and cured hundreds of wounded soldiers. He discharged his responsibilities despite personal setbacks. His father passed away on December 28, 1938, under very tragic circumstances, and the economic backbone of the family was broken. Kotnis received the sad news with fortitude.

Although basically a medical practitioner, he identified with the Chinese cause and fell in love with Guo Qinglan, a medical practitioner in the Eighth Route Army. They married in November 1941. While his indomitable zeal never deterred him from discharging his duty, Kotnis developed a serious illness in 1941. It is believed that he developed malaria — endemic at that time. The best medical facilities and attention was offered to him but despite that he died on December 9, 1942, aged 32. Rich tributes were paid to him by leaders such as Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De and Madam Sun Yat-sen. In his condolence letter to the Kotnis family, Zhou Enlai wrote that Dr Kotnis was a symbol of the friendship between the two nations. The epitaph that Zhu De wrote on Kotnis tomb said: ‘Brought up on the banks of the Ganges, you came to take part in our struggle in the Shanxi-Qatar-Hebei Border Region. An international doctor, your radiance will illuminate our two great Nations.’ To commemorate his invaluable service, the Chinese government inaugurated the Memorial Hall at Shih Chiach-hang, on December 9,1976 on 34th death anniversary.

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