Kotnis was born in 1906 in the town of Barshi in the state of Maharashtra, India. He studied medicine at the Grant Medical College in Mumbai and graduated in 1930. After graduating, Kotnis worked as a doctor in Mumbai for several years. Kotnis is remembered as a hero of the Chinese Civil War and as a symbol of India’s commitment to international solidarity. He is considered to be one of the most important figures in the history of Sino-Indian relations. Read More 8th Class English Summaries.
Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis Summary
Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis Summary in English
Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis was born in a lower middle class family on October 10, 1910 in Sholapur, Maharashtra. Coming from a family of doctors, Dr. Kotnis aspired to become a doctor.
After completing his graduation in medicine, he went on to pursue his post-graduation internship. He started his medical expedition in Vietnam, and then, moved on to Singapore and Brunei. The communist General Zhu De requested Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937 to send Indian physicians to China to help the war victims.
Dr. Kotnis was one of the five doctors who were sent to China as the part of Indian Medical Mission Team. Though the other doctors returned to India after the war, Dr. Kotnis decided to stay back and serve at the military base. He started his work in Yan’an and then worked in the surgical department of the Eighth Route Army General Hospital as the physician-in-charge. He fell in love with a Chinese nurse, Guo Qinglan and married her in November, 1941. They had a son on August 23, 1942 and he was named Yin Hua. He worked as a lecturer for sometime at the Dr. Bethune Hygiene School.
Later he took over the post of the first President of the Bethune International Peace Hospital. He did operations for 72 hours nonstop without any sleep during the long-drawn out battle against Japan. He played a major role in controlling a virulent strain of plague that hit Chinese soldiers. He died of epilepsy on December 9, 1942 at the age 32, and was buried in the Heroes Courtyard, Nanquan Village.
The Chinese government built a memorial hall for him in Shijiazhuang city, Hebei Province in 1976. His grave was covered completely in flowers donated by the Chinese people during the Qingming festival. Both China and India honoured him with stamps in 1982 and 1983 respectively. Later, Kotnis, family visited Kotnis’ grave and Dr. Bethune International Peace Hospital.
After Dr. Kotnis’ death, their son Yin Hua also passed away when he was just 25. Despite the two premature deaths, Mrs. Kotnis maintained her links with the Kotnis family. Mrs. Kotnis had been an honoured guest at many high-level diplomatic functions between China and India. She was a regular invitee at the Indian Embassy functions in China.
Dr. Kotnis become famous in his hometown with the publication of “One Who Never Returned” written by Khwaja Abbas Ahmed and the screening of the movie “Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani,” directed by V. Shantaram. No other Indians can claim the kind of adulation and respect Dr. Dwarakanath Kotnis enjoys in China. Dr. Kotnis’ contribution towards humanity will be remembered for ever.
Conclusion:
Kotnis’s legacy is a lasting one. He will be remembered as a hero of the Chinese Civil War, a symbol of India’s commitment to international solidarity, and a role model for all who want to make a difference in the world.