Mao Zedong letter to Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis kin restored by China, to be unveiled at Mumbai University

MUMBAI: Almost 75 years after his death, Dr Dwarkanath Kotnis, the Indian doctor who served in China, is being honoured yet again by the leadership of the neighbouring nation.
In a rare gesture, China has restored a handwritten calligraphic condolence message that was sent in the 1950s by its then leader Mao Zedong to the family of Kotnis. The restored message will be handed over to the civic body in Solapur, where Kotnis was born, on Sunday.
Later on Tuesday, an unveiling ceremony will take place at the Mumbai University and it will be attended by Chinese ambassador Luo Zhaohui.
The document, which has been penned in traditional Mandarin using a special ink, is about 3-ft long and has been made from traditional rice paper. Kotnis’ family had donated the document to the Solapur civic body which had put it on display at a museum there. The restorated document is expected to become an attraction at the Solapur museum.
An associate research expert at the Gansu museum, Zhao Li, who is an authority on restoring calligraphy art, and a retired cultural relics research and restoration officer at Shanghai Museum, Zhu Pinfang, have restored the document. The restoration work took nearly two weeks.
In 1938, Kotnis, who was working at JJ Hospital, was sent to China on a medical mission. He served on the frontline and saved the lives of many Chinese soldiers during a war with Japan. He later married a Chinese, Guo Qinglan, and died at the age of 32 after spending four years in the country. Touched by Kotnis’ service in China, Mao, a master calligrapher himself, wrote the moving tribute that says: “The Chinese Army has lost its arm and the nation its friend.”
Explaining the importance of the document, Zheng Xiyuan, consul-general of the People’s Republic of China in Mumbai, who is spearheading the exercise, said, “The calligraphy artefact sent by Chairman Mao is priceless and shows the historical friendship between the two countries and the regard for Dr Kotnis. The Chinese leadership has kept in touch with the family and made it a point to meet his sister Manorama every time they visit India. This is a momentous occasion for us to revive the message of love and respect to a great man.”