MUMBAI, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- A webinar was held in India on Friday on the eve of the 110th birth anniversary of Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis that will be commemorated on Saturday.
The webinar titled "Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis's legacy continues to live on in the hearts of Indian and Chinese people" was held with several speakers, including his 98-year old brother sharing his legacy.
Born in 1910 in a middle-class family, Dr. Kotnis was one of five Indian physicians sent to China to provide medical assistance during World War II, where he breathed his last breath.
Dr. Kotnis was known by his Chinese name, Ke Dihua, in the East Asian country. There is a school named after him in Shijiazhuang, the capital of China's Hebei province.
Speaking at the webinar organized by Dr. Kotnis Memorial Committee, Tang Guocai, Chinese consul general in Mumbai, remembered Dr. Kotnis's contribution that exemplified India and China's friendship tradition.
"The culture and tradition of India and China have several commonalities just as Dr. Kotnis is seen as an Indian in China and as Chinese in India," Tang Guocai said, further pointing out that against the backdrop of COVID-19, the spirit of Dr. Kotnis has its special significance.
The consul general also mentioned that China has officially joined COVAX which is an important step China has taken to honor its commitment to turn COVID-19 vaccines into a global public good.
He also called upon China and India to join hands in vaccine research and manufacturing as well as in the public health field for the benefit of their people and the world as a whole.
COVAX is a global initiative to accelerate the development and manufacture of COVID-19 vaccines and to guarantee fair and equitable access for every country in the world.
Several speakers who spoke on the occasion talked about the need to promote the Kotnis philosophy in both the countries, who planted the seed of India-China friendship. Enditem
