Dwarkanath Kotnis

PLA Daily 2005-08-09/China Daily2006-11-23 | Updated: 2010-09-28 15:39

Dwarkanath Kotnis was born in Bombay, India, 1910. He came to China as a member of the Indian Medical Team to Assist China, and arrived in Yan'an in Jan. 1939. He first worked in Yan'an and then went to the anti-Japanese base area in North China where he acted as the physician-in-charge of the surgical department of the Eighth Route Army General Hospital. Kotnis joined the Communist Party of China in July of 1942. After Dr. Norman Bethune passed away, he took over the post of the first president of the Bethune International Peace Hospital. He worked very hard and did his best to rescue the wounded. In addition, he paid much attention to training Chinese medical workers. Eventually he brought on illness by overwork and passed away on Dec. 9, 1942 in China.

Chairman Mao Zedong wrote a scroll to mourn for Dr. Kotnis, which goes: Indian friend Kotnis came a long way to China to assist the Chinese people in their War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression. He worked in Yan'an and North China for as long as five years, giving meticulous treatment to the wounded and patients, unfortunately he himself developed illness due to exhaustion. His death means the Eighth Route Army has lost a helpful assistant and our nation has lost a dear friend. We should never forget Dr. Kotnis' internationalist spirit." This scroll has now become a treasure of Kotnis' family, which will be handed down to posterity.

In order to cherish the memory of Dr. Kotnis, the Chinese government built a memorial hall for Dr. Kotnis in Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province, in 1976.