#New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in Jakarta on the first leg of a three-nation tour on Tuesday, remembered Odisha's former chief minister Biju Patnaik's role in Indonesia's independence movement, adding how his actions helped bring the country closer to India, according to reports.
Popularly known as Biju Babu, he performed a daring 1947 evacuation of Indonesian leaders from Dutch-held Java, cementing his bond and establishing his heroics as an accomplished pilot.
In July 1947, Biju Babu flew a Dakota into Dutch-controlled Indonesian territory to extract two leaders and bring them safely to India. As PM Modi pointed out on Tuesday, the mission strengthened diplomatic ties and earned Patnaik enduring respect in Indonesia.
When Dutch sought to reassert control over Indonesia after Japan's surrender, its leaders were detained, and movement was tightly restricted. At Jawaharlal Nehru's request Patnaik volunteered to fly into hostile airspace, accompanied by his wife, Gyanwati Patnaik. IANS