The Embassy in Delhi honours Biju Patnaik’s role in Indonesia’s freedom struggle in 1947
Tucked away inside the Indonesian Embassy in New Delhi is a special room — one that has been built in recognition the nation’s freedom struggle from Dutch colonialism 74 years ago, and named, unusually, for an Indian leader, Biju Patnaik.
The former Chief Minister of Odisha (1990-1995), who was a skilled pilot, flew several missions in 1947 to transport Indonesian leaders including the nation’s tallest leader, President Sukarno, Vice-President Hatta and Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir out of Indonesia, at grave risk to himself.
“We wanted to build a living memorial that would not just be a museum, so we decided that our meeting and video-conference room would be named the Bjiu Patnaik Room” explains Cultural and Social Counsellor at the Embassy Hanafi, who helped execute the project that was completed by Indonesian Ambassador Sidhartho Suryodipuro this month, before he ended his…