Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a historic address to the Indonesian Parliament, offered rare praise for India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. Modi highlighted Nehru's crucial backing for Indonesia's independence movement and underscored the deep historical bonds between the two nations.
Becoming the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Indonesian Parliament, Modi emphasized the shared experiences of both countries under foreign rule and their near-simultaneous achievement of independence. Indonesia gained freedom in 1945, followed by India in 1947.
Biju Patnaik's Daring Rescue Mission
PM Modi also paid tribute to former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, recalling his heroic covert operation. In July 1947, on Nehru's orders, Patnaik, accompanied by his co-pilot wife Gyanwati Patnaik, flew a Dakota aircraft into Indonesia. Despite Dutch threats, they successfully rescued Indonesian leaders Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta, who were under house arrest, bringing them safely to New Delhi via Singapore.
Nehru's Bandung Message and Non-Alignment
The Prime Minister further noted India's close engagement with Indonesia post-independence, pointing out that Indonesia's first President, Sukarno, was the chief guest at India's inaugural Republic Day celebrations in 1950. Modi specifically referenced the landmark Bandung Conference of 1955, praising the shared vision of Nehru and Sukarno in shaping the post-colonial global order.
Modi stated, "President Sukarno and Prime Minister Nehru gave a clear message to the world that independent nations have the right to take their own decisions." The Bandung Conference famously brought together 29 newly independent Asian and African nations, promoting cooperation, opposing colonialism, and laying the groundwork for the Non-Aligned Movement.