Inside The Dakota Daredevil Mission: How Biju Patnaik Defied Dutch Threats To Save Indonesia’s Founders
Inside The Dakota Daredevil Mission: How Biju Patnaik Defied Dutch Threats To Save Indonesia’s Founders Published By, Last Updated: July 07, 2026, 22:41 IST Following
Inside The Dakota Daredevil Mission: How Biju Patnaik Defied Dutch Threats To Save Indonesia’s Founders Published By, Last Updated: July 07, 2026, 22:41 IST Following Indonesia’s independence in 1945, Dutch forces launched an aggressive crackdown, eventually placing Sutan Sjahrir and Mohammad Hatta under strict house arrest. Rapid Read Nehru personally handpicked Biju Patnaik, a famously fearless aviator, to lead the daring mission. (Photo: X) The legendary, high-stakes rescue mission executed by ace pilot and former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik during Indonesia’s war for independence took centre stage on Tuesday, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured the historic bond connecting the two maritime neighbours. The tribute took place during PM Modi’s official state visit to Jakarta, where he made history by becoming the first Indian prime minister to address the Indonesian Parliament. In a powerful speech to lawmakers, PM Modi detailed how New Delhi consistently served as a fierce, unyielding voice advocating for Jakarta’s sovereignty at the United Nations while the Southeast Asian nation was fighting to throw off colonial Dutch rule.
“There is so much that our ancestors experienced together. Both our nations endured long periods of foreign rule," Prime Minister Modi said. “We gained our independence at almost the same time, Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947. 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." The Extraction: Flying Into Enemy Crosshairs Following Indonesia’s formal declaration of independence from the Netherlands on August 17, 1945, colonial Dutch forces launched an aggressive military crackdown, eventually placing Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir and Vice President Mohammad Hatta under strict house arrest in Jakarta. Recognising the critical need to get the Indonesian leadership to the global stage to rally international support, Jawaharlal Nehru—who was weeks away from officially taking charge as India’s first prime minister—ordered a highly classified, covert extraction operation in July 1947.
Nehru personally handpicked Biju Patnaik, a famously fearless aviator, to lead the daring mission. Undeterred by explicit threats from the Dutch military that any unauthorised planes would be shot down on sight, Patnaik and his co-pilot wife, Gyanwati Patnaik, charted a dangerous course into Indonesian airspace. Operating a twin-engine Dakota aircraft, the duo successfully bypassed colonial radar grids, landed in Jakarta, and extracted both Sjahrir and Hatta. The Patnaiks flew the foreign leaders safely out of the conflict zone, refuelling in Singapore before triumphantly landing in New Delhi. The heroic aviation feat effectively broke the diplomatic blockade, cementing a foundational bond of blood and bravado between the two newly independent republics that continues to resonate decades later. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Saurabh Verma Senior Sub-editor Saurabh Verma covers general, national and international day-to-day news for News18.com as a Chief Sub-editor.
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