Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday highlighted the deep historical ties between India and Indonesia, recalling the two nations’ shared struggle against colonial rule and the role played by former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik in strengthening bilateral relations.Addressing the Indonesian Parliament, Modi became the first Indian prime minister to speak before the country’s legislature. In his speech, he reflected on the historical events that shaped the friendship between New Delhi and Jakarta, saying both countries emerged from colonial rule around the same period and stood together in support of freedom and sovereignty.”There is so much that our ancestors experienced together. Both our nations endured long periods of foreign rule. We gained our independence at almost the same time, Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947,” Modi said.The Prime Minister recalled India’s support for Indonesia’s independence movement at the United Nations and paid tribute to Biju Patnaik’s daring rescue mission in 1947. Acting on the directions of Jawaharlal Nehru, Patnaik flew a Dakota aircraft to Indonesia and safely evacuated Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta after they were placed under house arrest by Dutch authorities following Indonesia’s declaration of independence.”The role played by the respected Biju Patnaik, and the way he safely brought Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta to India, brought our two nations even closer together,” Modi said.Modi also recalled that Indonesia’s first President Sukarno was the chief guest at India’s inaugural Republic Day celebrations in 1950. Referring to the 1955 Bandung Conference, he noted that Sukarno and then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru championed the principles of newly independent nations determining their own future, laying the foundation for greater Asian-African cooperation and the Non-Aligned Movement.The Prime Minister said the shared history of mutual support, anti-colonial struggle and political cooperation continues to serve as the foundation of the India-Indonesia partnership.
PM Modi recalls Biju Patnaik’s daring Indonesia rescue, praises Nehru in historic address to Indonesian Parliament
