Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday heaped praise on former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik for his role in rescuing Indonesian leadership from Dutch-controlled Java during the country's independence struggle, according to ANI and Hindustan Times.
Addressing the Indonesian parliament in Jakarta, PM Modi noted that Patnaik, who was a pilot, had safely brought Indonesia's then Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, an act that, as cited by HT, brought New Delhi and Jakarta "closer" as nations.
"Both our nations gained independence around the same time: Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947. When it came to sovereignty as independent nations, India became a strong voice in support of Indonesia's independence movement at the United Nations. The role played by the respected Biju Patnaik during that period, the way he safely brought Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, brought the two nations closer," PM Modi said, according to the report.
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Biju Patnaik played a crucial role in the Indonesian National Revolution by rescuing key leaders, Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta, from Dutch house arrest in 1947, thereby helping galvanize international support for Indonesia's independence.
During his address to the Indonesian parliament, PM Modi praised Biju Patnaik for his daring 1947 rescue mission, highlighting how it brought the two nations, India and Indonesia, closer together during their respective independence struggles.
Biju Patnaik undertook the mission at the request of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to extract Indonesian leaders from Dutch control, aiming to rally global opinion for Indonesia's independence and oppose Dutch re-colonization efforts.
Biju Patnaik faced significant risks, including threats from the Dutch military who warned to shoot down his plane. He countered with a warning that any hostile action would be met with retaliation against Dutch aircraft in Indian airspace.
The successful rescue mission not only saved Indonesian leaders but also laid the groundwork for a strong bilateral relationship, establishing India as a supportive ally in Indonesia's quest for independence.
Highlighting the maritime connectivity that has historically linked the two countries, PM Modi noted, as per the report, that their shared geography is a bond rather than a barrier. "For India and Indonesia, the sea has never represented distance. It has always been a bridge between our nations and remains central to our shared future," he said.
According to ANI, Biju Patnaik played a death-defying role in the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch colonial rule in 1947. At the request of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Patnaik broke through a strict Dutch blockade to rescue top Indonesian resistance leaders, drawing global attention to their freedom struggle, the report said.
The report noted that the Dutch had attempted to recolonise Indonesia after the end of World War II and launched a massive military offensive, placing Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta under house arrest in Jakarta to silence the independence movement, while also blocking all exit routes. Nehru is then said to have tasked the 31-year-old Patnaik with a covert operation to extract the leaders so they could rally international opinion against the Dutch.
As per the report, in July 1947, Patnaik and his co-pilot wife, Gyanwati Patnaik, flew a Douglas C-47 military transport aircraft, known as the Dakota, from India into Indonesian airspace. When the Dutch issued explicit threats to shoot down his plane, Patnaik reportedly issued a counter-warning that any hostile action would result in Dutch aircraft being targeted over Indian skies in retaliation.
Patnaik went on to successfully fly Sjahrir and Hatta out of the country via Singapore, and the two leaders arrived safely in New Delhi on 24 July 1947, according to the report.
