What was the claim to fame of Dr. Dwarka Nath Kotnis ?

Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis was an Indian physician who became a symbol of international solidarity through his service during the Second Sino-Japanese War. In 1938, following a request from Chinese General Zhu De to Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian National Congress dispatched a five-member medical mission to China. Dr. Kotnis served as a frontline doctor for the Eighth Route Army, demonstrating extraordinary dedication by performing surgeries for up to 72 hours and treating hundreds of patients in short spans. He worked under grueling conditions in the war zone, eventually marrying a Chinese nurse and continuing his medical service until his untimely death in 1942 at the age of 32 [1]. His sacrifice is deeply revered in China, where he is commemorated as a martyr and one of the top foreign friends of the nation [1].

Sources

1. [1] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-22599356