​​​​​​​New Delhi, July 7: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday lauded former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik for his courageous contribution to Indonesia’s independence movement, highlighting his role in a daring rescue mission that strengthened ties between India and Indonesia.

Addressing the Indonesian Parliament in Jakarta, Prime Minister Modi recalled how Biju Patnaik, an accomplished pilot and freedom fighter, helped transport key Indonesian leaders from Dutch-controlled Java to India during Indonesia’s struggle for independence.

Modi noted that Patnaik safely flew Indonesia’s then Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, a mission that played a significant role in fostering goodwill and cooperation between the two newly emerging nations.

“Both our nations gained independence around the same time—Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947. India strongly supported Indonesia’s independence movement at the United Nations. The role played by the respected Biju Patnaik during that period, and the way he safely brought Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, brought our two nations closer,” the Prime Minister said.

Modi’s remarks underscored the enduring historical bond between India and Indonesia and paid tribute to Biju Patnaik’s legacy as a leader whose actions extended beyond India’s borders and contributed to international solidarity during the post-colonial era.