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China remembers Indian doctor’s sacrifice

Author  :  Li Yu     Source  :    Chinese Social Sciences Today     2014-11-28

Editor’s note: On Sept. 19, 2014, President Xi Jinping met members of a delegation from India in New Delhi and awarded the Friendship Award of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence in recognition of their long-term devotion to fostering closer ties between China and India. The delegation included doctors of the Indian Medical Mission, a family representative of international fighter Dwarkanath S. Kotnis,and the Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis Memorial Committee. President Xi recounted stories of Kotnis, Tagore and other Indian friends of China with attendees, expressing his admiration for their persistent pursuit of and selfless dedication to the cause of Sino-Indian friendship.

On Oct.10, 1910, Dwarkanath S. Kotnis, also known by his Chinese name KeDihua, was born to a large but not rich family with many siblings in Solapur, India. Kotnis’ father was a progressive who supported national liberation, and Kotnis joined his father in the boycott of British goods. In 1936, Kotnis graduated from the Seth G. S. Medical College in Mumbai and afterward applied for the Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom.

Indian medical mission

After the outbreak of World War II, Kotnis gave up his opportunity to study in the United Kingdom to join the Indian medical mission to China set up by Jawaharial Nehru, the president of the Indian National Congress, and came to China in September 1938 to support China’s Anti-Japanese War.

On Sept.17, the medical mission arrived at Guangzhou and was warmly welcomed by the President of the China Defense League Soong Chin-ling and representatives from different sectors. Afterward, the medical mission successively worked in Hankou, Yichang, Chongqing and other places.

In Wuhan, General Ye Jianying gave a welcome speech saying that the arrival of the Indian medical mission strengthened Chinese people’s resolve to achieve victory inthe Anti-Japanese War. Moreover, Kotnis was granted the Chinese name KeDihua by Tan Yunshan,the founder of the Sino-Indian Cultural Association, who was responsible for welcoming the medical mission.

Tan named each doctor of the medical mission in Chinese and all of these Chinese names ended with the same Chinese character hua, which literarily means “China,” in order to represent their outstanding contributions to the nation.

Frontlines of Yan’an

What the members of the Indian medical mission saw during their journey profoundly affected their views on Chinese politics. After Japanese forces occupied Guangzhou on Oct.21, 1938, Kotnis seized every chance he could to engage with his acquaintances, who told him about the timidity and incompetence of the Kuomintang forces and their low morale. By contrast, the medical mission’s contact with Ye Jianying, Dong Biwu, Wang Bingnan and other Chinese Communists strengthened their determination to work with CPC and the Eight Route Army.

Kotnis, in particular, insisted more work was needed in Yan’an, where the fiercest fighting of the war took place. In February 1939, Kotnis, who had just lost his father, arrived at Yan’an with the medical mission. Mao Zedong, other top leaders of the CPC and people of Yan’an gave them a warm welcome.

In March, Kotnisbegan to work at the Guaimao Model Hospital, about 15 kilometers to the east of Yan’an. In July, the medical mission thatKotnis joined performed surgery to treat a fracture in Zhou Enlai’s right arm.

Although he already had a high workload in the hospital during this period, Kotnis and two other doctors of the medical mission, M. Atal and B. K. Basu, set up a study group together to improve their Russian language proficiency and medical practices. In addition, Kotnis played an active role in student movements at the Chinese People’s Anti-Japanese Military and Political College.

Owing to his outgoing personality and diligent study, Kotnis became one of the most fluent speakers of fluent Chinese in the Indian medical mission. On several occasions, he made speeches on behalf of the medical mission and could communicate individually with wounded Chinese soldiers and other patients. He directly wrote medical lecture notes in Chinese as well.

In December 1939, Kotnis, Atal and Basu marched to the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Wuxiang County, Shanxi province, on the frontlines of the Anti-Japanese War. In the meeting with the Commander-in-Chief Zhu De, they discussed the significance of guerrilla tactics in a war of national liberation.

Kotnis completely agreed with Zhu’s stance, notingthat India and China shared similarities in many regards. In the battle against British colonialism, guerrilla warfare was a viable option as well. In February 1940, Atalfelt unwell and returned to India, but Kotnis and Basu still remained and fought the fascists alongside the Chinese people.

They followed a regiment of the 129th Division and experienced the life of an army resisting invasion. Later, they moved to Gegong Village, where the ministry of health of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area existed. While they treated and cured the wounded soldiers and patients in the hospital, they gave lectures at a local hygiene school in an effort to train a number of medical workers.

Following the example set by legendary Canadian doctor Norman Bethune, the doctors chose not to wait for the wounded to come to them and instead sought to save lives on the frontlines. In September 1940, Kotnis and Basu each led a medical team to lend support inthe war’s greatest battle—the Hundred Regiments Offensive.

Kotnis had initially planned to study medical science in the Soviet Union after he had completed his year of service in the medical mission. But after the battle, he chose to remain at Gegong Village.

In January 1941, Kotnis was appointed as director of the Dr. Bethune International Peace Hospital. That same year, he married GuoQinglan, a teacher at the local hygiene school, and their son was born in the next year. Commander NieRongzhenof the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area suggested that Kotnis name their son KeYinhua, combing two Chinese characters yin, meaning “Indian,” and hua,representing China,making the child a living symbol of the Sino-Indian friendship from generation to generation.

Chinese army and people’s enthusiasm for revolution during the war deeply affected Kotnis, and he decided to join Communist Party of China as a foreigner. On July 7, 1942, the fifth anniversary of the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Kotnis was recommended by Jiang Yizhen, the president of Dr. Bethune Hygiene School of the Jinchaji Military Command, and finally joined the CPC.

In those dark days of Anti-Japanese War, Kotnis silently bore the burden of his family, who had financial difficulties after his father’s death. He overcame struggles at work, where he lacked medicine and surgical instruments, and managed to cure masses of patients with great devotion and medical skill.

Kotnisfell sick from overwork and died of epilepsy at the age of 32 on Dec.9, 1942, in Tang County, Hebei province. Zhu De wrote a poem Indian Dr. DwarkanathKotnis:”The Ganges River gave birth to him, and he voluntarily marched to the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei to fend offJapanese enemies for China. He risked his life to save patients and devoted himself to the Chinese battle, leaving a legacy between two countries.”

Zhou Enlai wrote a letter to Kotnis’ relatives to express condolences. At the end of the letter, Zhou said:”His name will be remembered in these two nations that he devoted himself to. His death is the common loss for all humans who love freedom, and we are sharing your sorrow together.”

The Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei border area convened a memorial meeting to mourn Kotnis attended by millions of soldiers and ordinary people. Mao Zedong mourned Kotnis death very deeply, writing in his elegy, ”The army has lost a helping hand, and the nation has lost a friend.”Basu recorded Mao’s words and brought them backto India to Kotnis’ relatives.

Intergenerational friendship

In 1949, Kotniswas buried in the Martyrs’ Cemetery of the North China Military Command in Shijiazhuang. In the Martyrs’ Cemetery, a statue of Kotniswas erected. Alongside the nameDr. Bethune, he continues to be revered by the Chinese people. Later, a Kotnis Memorial Hall was set up in both Shijiazhuang and Tang County, Hebei province.

In December 1976, the Dr. Bethune International Peace Hospital in Shijiazhuang held an unveiling ceremony for Kotnis Memorial Hall and Kotnis’ best comrade-in-arms Basu was invited to China. As the medial mission doctor who remained in China for the longest period, Basu has complied his diaries in China and published a book Call of Yan’an: The Story of the Indian Medical Mission to China 1938-1943 to commemorate that period.

In the book, Basu recorded volumes of stories about Kotnis and other members of the Indian Medical Mission as they worked to support Chinese people against the Japanese invadersand theactions of the CPC and the Eighth Route Army. Basu collected several photographs in the book, and most of these photos were taken by Basu and Kotnis along with the medical missionfrom 1938 to 1943. Moreover, the Dr. DwarkanathKotnis Memorial Committee was initiated under the advocacy of Basu.

Nearly 70years ago, Kotnis selflessly gave his precious and young life for the Chinese people’s struggle against Japan. Although he has passed away, his spirit will endure forever. In honor of his sacrifice, Kotnis’ Indian family members have been invited to China several times.

The current and all previous top leaders of the Chinese government have met with his family members when visiting India. Kotnis placed eighth in a 2009 Internet survey ranking the top international friends of China hosted by CRI (China Radio International) and cosponsored by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. It fully demonstrated that the Chinese people haven’t forgotten Kotnis, a brave doctor with internationalist spirit and his great contribution to the Chinese victory of Anti-Japanese War.

During President Xi Jinping’s visit to India, he awarded the Friendship Award of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to Kotnis. When Kotnis’ younger sister Manorama came in her wheelchair to receive the award, President Xi kindly bended his body down to her to thank her for coming and indicated that the Sino-Indian friendship will be carried on from generation to generation.

What Kotnis and the Indian medical mission have done for Chinese people is the best demonstration ofthe long-standing friendship between China and India. And the award ceremony also manifested that China cherishes the friendship with India and will unhesitatingly continue to carry it forward.

 

Li Yu is from the Center of Overseas Chinese Studies at Beijing Union University.

 

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 674, Nov. 26, 2014

The Chinese link: http://sscp.cssn.cn/xkpd/yw/201411/t20141126_1415866.html

 

Translated by Zhang Mengying

Revised by Justin Ward

  

Editor: Yu Hui

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