A mass prayer meeting for the health and well-being of the Chinese population, in light of the ongoing coronavirus crisis, was held near the Gateway of India on Thursday.
The gathering of around 50 people was also attended by Tang Guocai, Consul General of China, and Ramdas Athawale, Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment. Members of the All India Buddhist Monks, too, attended the meeting and lit candles along with Mr. Tang and Mr. Athawale, after which prayers were offered for the well-being of the Chinese.
Mr. Tang expressed his gratitude to India for its support to China during its time of crisis, raising the slogan, “Hindi-Chini bhai bhai .” “India is providing China with political, economic and cultural aid. We are getting great warmth and support from our neighbouring country and together we are making solid progress in fighting coronavirus,” he said.
Mr. Athawale assured the Consul General that India will continue to support China. “The deadly virus is disrupting peace in China, and thousands have lost their lives because of it. The India-China brotherhood will stay strong forever and we will always have their back,” he said.
Mr. Tang also paid homage to Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis, one of the five Indian physicians despatched to China during the 1938 Sino-Japanese war. Revered in China to this day, Dr. Kotnis worked tirelessly to tend to Chinese soldiers at the cost of his own health, and died in China on December 9, 1942. He was buried at the Heroes Courtyard in Nanquan Village and later immortalised by V. Shantaram in his movie, Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani .
“The Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis Memorial Committee has provided a lot of medical assistance to fight against coronavirus, so we have full confidence that we’ll overcome it. The medical workers are angels, they are the best of humanity. In this fight against coronavirus, moral support and medical support are equally important,” Mr. Tang said.
On the shared cultural heritage of the two countries, Mr. Tang said, “Buddhism is the best example of the China-India cultural exchange, and is now spreading to America and east Europe, among other places.”
