PM Modi hails Biju Patnaik’s daring 1947 Jakarta-Delhi rescue mission: All about former Odisha CM’s heroic act | Today’s news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday praised the former Chief Minister of Odisha Biju Patnaik for his role in rescuing the Indonesian leadership from Dutch-controlled Java during the country’s struggle for independence, according to ANI and Hindustan Times.
Speaking at the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta, PM Modi noted that Patnaik, who was the pilot, brought the then Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta safely to India, an act which, as quoted 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 this period, the way he safely brought Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrition and Vice President of India Mohamm namad into closer contact with India. Modidtai Mohamm namad said according to messages.
Highlighting the maritime connectivity that has historically linked the two countries, PM Modi, according to the report, 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 peoples and remains central to our shared future,” he said.
Patnaik’s deadly rescue mission in 1947
According to ANI, Biju Patnaik played a deadly role in the Indonesian national revolution against Dutch colonial rule in 1947. At the request of the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Patnaik broke through a strict Dutch blockade to rescue leading Indonesian resistance leaders and draw global attention to their struggle for freedom, the report said.
The report noted that the Dutch attempted to recolonize 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 blocking all escape routes. Nehru then allegedly tasked the 31-year-old Patnaik with a covert operation to draw out the leaders so they could rally international opinion against the Dutch.
According to the report, in July 1947, Patnaik and his co-pilot wife Gyanwati Patnaik flew a Douglas C-47 military transport plane, known as the Dakota, from India into Indonesian airspace. When the Dutch specifically threatened to shoot down his aircraft, 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 July 24, 1947, according to the report.
