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‘Brought two nations closer’: PM Modi's big praise for Biju Patnaik in Indonesia
Narendra Modi pointed out that Biju Patnaik safely brought Indonesia's then-Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday heaped big 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.
Addressing the Indonesian parliament in Jakarta, Modi pointed out that Patnaik, who was a pilot, safely brought the country's then-Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, saying it brought New Delhi and Indonesia “closer”.
"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," Modi said.
Highlighting the maritime connectivity that has historically linked the two countries, Modi noted 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.
What was Biju Patnaik's role in the Indonesian freedom struggle?
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 a strict Dutch blockade, rescuing top Indonesian resistance leaders and bringing global attention to their freedom struggle.
The Dutch attempted to recolonise Indonesia following the end of World War II and launched a massive military offensive. They placed Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice-President Mohammad Hatta under house arrest in Jakarta to silence the independence movement, and blocked all exit routes. Nehru tasked the 31-year-old Patnaik with a covert operation to extract the leaders so they could rally international public opinion against the Dutch.
In July 1947, Biju Patnaik and his co-pilot wife, Gyanwati Patnaik, flew a Douglas C-47 military transport aircraft, also known as the Dakota, from India into Indonesian airspace. When the Dutch issued explicit threats that they would shoot down his plane, Patnaik issued a counter-warning that any hostile action would result in Dutch planes being targeted over Indian skies in retaliation.
Patnaik successfully flew Sjahrir and Hatta out of the country via Singapore, and they arrived safely in New Delhi on July 24, 1947.
