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Maharashtra

Mumbai: China mission to commemorate Dr. Kotnis’ 80th death anniversary

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The Dr. Dwarkanath Kotnis Memorial Committee and the Consulate General of China in Mumbai will commemorate and pay homage to the legendary medico Dr. Dwarkanath Shantaram Kotnis on the occasion of his 80th death anniversary, an official said here on Friday.

Dr. Kotnis, revered in China and India alike, passed away in China at the young age of 32 on December 9, 1942 and the memorial event shall be held on Saturday, said Consul General Kong Xianhua.

The tributes will be in memory of Dr. Kotnis’ services to the Chinese people as part of the Indian Medical Mission there in 1938, and the focus of tomorrow’s event would be aInheriting the Spirit of Dr. Kotnis & Working together for a bright future, said Xianhua.

“We honour his heroic deeds to renew his spirit in the new era. Chairman Mao wrote in the elegy that the Chinese people will never forget Dr. Kotnis’ spirit of internationalisma He arrived in Chian at the most dificult time of the country’s anti-Fascist war, rescued the wounded in the front-line, and devoted himself to the liberation of the Chinese people,” he said.

The diplomat added his countrymen will forever remember how Kotnis devoted his precious life to the cause of China under very tough conditions, and the Chinese people admire and cherish his memory even today.

There are many commemoration events lined up in China on Friday and also during the annual Qingming Festival to pay homage to martyrs like Kotnis.

Kotnis was born in Solapur on October 10, 1910 and acquired his medical degree from the University of Bombay through the Seth GS Medical College & KEM Hospital here.

After Japan invaded China, the Communist General Zhu De had requested Congress leader Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru to send a medical team, and the then Indian National Congress President Subhash Chandra Bose made the necessary arrangements and organised the funds for the voluntary mission.

When Dr. Kotnis was barely 28 and preparing his Master’s, he took his family’s permission and joined the humanitarian Indian Medical Mission Team to China.

The mission — with Dr. M. Atal from Allahabad, Dr. M. Cholkar from Nagpur, Dr. B.K. Basu and Dr. D. Mukerjee from Kolkata, besides Kotnis from Solapur — first went to Hankou Port in Wuhan in September 1938.

Later it was sent to Yan’an where they met top Chinese leaders like Mao Zedong, Gen. Zhu De and others.

During the IMMT sojourn there, Dr. Kotnis worked under trying conditions to treat and operate upon wounded soldiers in mobile clinics virtually non-stop for days for nearly five years.

In 1940, Dr. Kotnis, who had learnt Chinese, met a local nurse Guo Qinglan and they married in December 1941, and the couple had a son Yinhua in August 1942.

Barely three months later, owing to the immense stress of his medical duties on the warfronts, Dr. Kotnis suffered major health issues and passed away on December 9, 1942.

Shocked by his demise, subsequently, China honoured him with a statue, a memorial, tomb and other honours, besides a memorial in his hometown of Solapur.

India released a special postage stamp (1993) in his honour, the renowned filmmaker V. Shantaram made a biopic “Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahania (1946) and a Chinese film “Ke Di Hua Dai Fu” (1982).

Successive Indian Presidents and Prime Ministers as well as top Chinese leaders have remembered Dr. Kotnis and his family in Maharashtra, and his selfless services to the Chinese people in their time of need.

Crime

Mira-Bhayandar: Police Busts Illicit Liquor Brewing Den In Nallasopara

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Mira Bhayandar: Further tightening their screws against illicit liquor mafia ahead of the assembly elections scheduled to be held on 20, November, the Mira Road-based central crime branch unit attached to the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai (MBVV) police busted yet another massive illicit liquor brewing unit which was operating from a hillock in a dense jungle area in Nallasopara on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, a team led by assistant police inspector- Dattatray Sarak marched 2-kilometre-deep inside the jungle area located in the Dhaniv Baug area of Nallasopara (east) at around 8 am.

The team seized multiple barrels of hooch along with ingredients including 2,800 litres of fermented jaggery wash, 140 litres of liquor, chemicals and other manufacturing equipment collectively worth more than Rs. 1.42 lakh.

However, the den operator identified as- Prabhakar Bhoye and his employees managed to evade the police dragnet. The entire material and equipment were destroyed on the spot.

An offence under the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prohibition Act-1949 for construction/works of any distillery or brewery and manufacturing intoxicants has been registered in this context at the Pelhar police station.

The consumption of illicit liquor which is unscientifically manufactured by using toxic chemicals like methanol and rectified spirit can cause deaths and other serious ailments including loss of eyesight. Further investigations were underway.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai Weather Update: Lowest Temperature Recorded In Dream City; Check Out AQI & More

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Mumbai: The winter season in Mumbai has always been ever-changing in nature due to topography and climate change. While the temperature rises during the noon, mornings and nights are comparatively pleasant. The lowest temperature was recorded this year in the city’s Santacruz area, giving hope of winter’s arrival. However, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted a rise in temperatures in the upcoming days.

Lowest Temperature Recorded

As per a Hindustan Times report, Mumbai experienced a minimum temperature drop below 20 degrees Celsius for the first time this year on Thursday, with Santacruz registering a morning low of 19 degrees Celsius, 2.6 degrees lower than usual. According to a prediction from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), temperatures are expected to increase in the upcoming days.

Today’s Weather Report

Today, on November 15, 2024, the weather in Mumbai shows a temperature of 29°C, with a forecast of 23°C as the minimum and 36°C as the maximum. The humidity level is at 54% with a wind velocity of 6 km/h. The sun will rise at 06:46 AM and set at 06:00 PM.

The forecast for today predicts morning fog with a chance of partly cloudy skies later on. Please organise your day based on the temperature and expected weather patterns. Have fun in the sun, but remember to bring your sunscreen and sunglasses when you enjoy the nice weather.

Tomorrow’s Weather Forecast

The forecast for Mumbai on Saturday, November 16, 2024 is a low of 27.54 °C and a high of 30.53 °C. The humidity is expected to reach 52% tomorrow.

Mumbai AQI Today

Today, the Air Quality Index (AQI) in Mumbai is at 119, categorised as moderate. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted foggy skies today. It is advised to wear mask as you head out to start your day.

IMD Predictions

The IMD attributes the weather disturbances to easterly winds and a cyclonic circulation in the southeast Arabian Sea. According to the forecast by IMD, the temperature will reach a high of 34-35 degrees Celsius over the next few days, with a low of around 24-25 degrees Celsius, before decreasing once more.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Elections 2024: Ajit Pawar, Other NCP Leaders Skip PM Modi’s Rally In Mumbai Raising Speculations On Rift Widening Within Mahayuti

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Mumbai: The absence of Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and senior leaders from his faction of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Mumbai has stirred tensions within the ruling Mahayuti alliance.

NCP Senior Leaders, Candidates Skip Modi’s Rally

The rally held at Chhatrapati Shivaji Park in Dadar, aimed to project the strength and unity of the coalition, bringing together leaders from Shiv Sena’s Eknath Shinde faction and the Republican Party of India (RPI) led by Ramdas Athawale. However, the lack of attendance from prominent NCP (Ajit Pawar) candidates Sana Malik, Nawab Malik and Zeeshan Siddique was conspicuous, especially as other alliance representatives appeared alongside Modi on stage.

This absence has raised eyebrows, with reports suggesting that Ajit Pawar’s NCP faction feels increasingly uneasy with the BJP’s campaign slogan, ‘batenge toh katenge’ (divided we fall), which some view as a pressure tactic to enforce cohesion.

PM Modi Thanks Mumbaikars

On the other hand, PM Modi expressed gratitude toward Mumbai’s people on social media, stressing his commitment to development and good governance under the National Democratic Alliance (NDA). Modi’s comments aimed to emphasize the coalition’s vision of improving ‘Ease of Living’ for citizens.

Milind Deora Dismisses Speculations Of Rift

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Milind Deora had earlier addressed the speculations, affirming that the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, is united and contesting elections with full strength. He accused Congress of spreading a fake narrative on threat to the Constitution and also stated that it has failed, as reported by PTI.

Deora dismissed notions of any internal discord, contrasting the Mahayuti’s cohesion with what he described as fragmentation within the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), consisting of the NCP (Sharad Pawar faction), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) and Congress.

The stakes are high as Maharashtra heads into its November 20 assembly elections, with both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition MVA locked in a fierce battle for control of the state. The counting of votes is scheduled to take place on November 23.

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