Manorama, last surviving sibling of Dwarkanath Kotnis, dead

Mumbai, July 3: Manorama S. Kotnis, a sister of the legendary medico and doyen of India-China friendship, the late Dwarkanath S. Kotnis, has died in her Mumbai suburban home, a family member said here on Friday. She was 94. The last of eight surviving siblings of Dr. Kotnis, she breathed her last late Thursday night at her Vile Parle residence, said her 92-year old cousin Shrikant Kotnis. The funeral rites were performed at a crematorium here on Friday morning, said former Congress legislator Krishna Hegde. Chinese President Xi Jinping had met and felicitated her at a function in New Delhi in September, 2014 during his visit to India and conferred her with the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence Friendship Award. Manorama, a nutritionist by profession, had worked with the state government in the past. Continuing the tradition of all top Chinese leaders who visit India, Chinese President Xi had met her in the capital and felicitated her there. A year before in 2013, visiting Chinese Premier Li Keqiang also had an emotional audience with Manorama in Mumbai and he enquired after her health.