Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Indonesia are entering a "golden era" in their bilateral relationship while addressing the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta. He credited former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik as one of the key figures behind the strong ties between the two nations, highlighting his crucial role during Indonesia's struggle for independence.
Before entering politics and serving as Odisha's chief minister, Biju Patnaik was an accomplished pilot. In 1946, at the request of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, he undertook a high-risk mission to rescue Indonesian leaders after the Dutch launched a military offensive in Java. Displaying remarkable courage, Patnaik, along with his wife, flew into the conflict zone and safely evacuated Indonesia's Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India.
A day earlier, PM Modi had praised Patnaik for strengthening the relationship between India and Indonesia.
"Both our nations gained independence around the same time—Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947. India strongly supported Indonesia's struggle for independence at the United Nations," Modi said.
He added, "The respected Biju Patnaik played a historic role during that period. By safely bringing Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, he helped forge a lasting bond between our two countries."
In recognition of his extraordinary mission, the Indonesian government honoured Patnaik with the Bintang Jasa Utama (First Class of the Star of Service) in 1955. Six years later, he became Odisha's fourth chief minister in 1961 and later served a second term from 1990 to 1995.
BIJU PATNAIK'S ROLE IN INDONESIA'S FREEDOM STRUGGLE
While Biju Patnaik is widely remembered for his contributions to Odisha's development, he was also a fearless aviator who played significant roles in India's independence movement, Indonesia's freedom struggle, and the 1962 Indo-China War.
Patnaik began his aviation training at the Delhi Flying Club in 1930 and joined the Royal Indian Air Force, now known as the Indian Air Force, in 1936.
Among his many achievements, his daring mission during Indonesia's fight for independence remains one of the most remarkable.
Indonesia declared independence on August 17, 1945, ending more than three centuries of Dutch colonial rule. However, the Dutch launched a military campaign the following year to regain control, placing Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir under house arrest.
Recognising the importance of Indonesia's independence as part of the wider Asian liberation movement, Jawaharlal Nehru entrusted Patnaik with the mission of rescuing Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta from Java and bringing them safely to India.
Patnaik immediately accepted the assignment. Flying a twin-engine Douglas Dakota aircraft, he embarked on the mission with his wife, Gyan Patnaik, who was India's first woman to receive a commercial pilot's licence. Remarkably, the couple undertook the operation just two weeks after the birth of their son.
They reached Jakarta on July 21, 1947, despite facing immense danger. During the flight from Singapore to Java, Dutch forces threatened to shoot down their aircraft.
Undeterred by the warnings, Patnaik—popularly known as the "Kalinga Bull"—successfully completed the mission, flying Sutan Sjahrir and Mohammad Hatta safely to Singapore before bringing them to India, cementing his place in the history of both nations.
