prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik for his role in saving the Indonesian leadership from Dutch-controlled Java during the country’s struggle for independence.
Addressing the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta, Modi recalled that Patnaik, who was a pilot, safely brought the country’s then Prime Minister Sutan Sgarir and Vice President Mohamad Hatta to India, saying that brought New Delhi and Indonesia “closer.”
“Our two countries gained independence at almost the same time: Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947. When it comes to sovereignty as independent nations, India has become a strong voice in support of Indonesia’s independence movement in the United Nations. The role played by the honorable Biju Patnaik during that period – the way he safely brought Prime Minister Sutan Sgarir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, brought the two countries closer together,” Modi said.
Highlighting the maritime connection that has historically linked the two countries, Modi pointed out that their shared geography represents a bond, not a barrier.
“For India and Indonesia, the sea has never represented distance. It has always been a bridge between our two countries and remains pivotal to our common future,” he said.
What is 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 the strict Dutch blockade, rescued the senior leaders of the Indonesian resistance and brought global attention to their struggle for freedom.
The Dutch attempted to recolonize Indonesia after the end of World War II and launched a large-scale military offensive. They placed Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Seghar and Vice President Mohamad Hatta under house arrest in Jakarta to silence the independence movement, and closed all exit routes. Nehru assigned 31-year-old Patnaik to a secret operation to extract the leaders so they could rally international opinion against the Dutch.
In July 1947, Biju Patnaik and his co-pilot, Jaywanati Patnaik, flew a Douglas C-47 military transport plane, 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 aircraft being targeted over Indian skies in retaliation.
Patnaik successfully transported Sahrir and Hatta out of the country via Singapore, and they arrived safely in New Delhi on 24 July 1947.
