Naveen Patnaik completed 23 years as Odisha chief minister on Sunday, an occasion he used to restore and display an iconic Dakota plane used by his father, Biju Patnaik, for public viewing.
Displayed at the Bhubneshwar Airport, the plane reminds people of the exploits of a young pilot, Biju Patnaik, who played a key role in a daring rescue mission, particularly of then Indonesian vice president Md Hatta and former prime minister Sutan Sjahrir. This made Biju, who was to become chief minister and architect of modern Odisha later, a participant in the freedom struggle of two countries, India and Indonesia.
Biju Patnaik had founded Kalinga Airways which had a fleet of 15 Dakota planes. In 1947, when the Dutch had again taken control of Indonesia, India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru decided to help the country which had become free from Dutch control two years before. Nehru asked Patnaik to rescue the Indonesian leaders and bring them to Delhi so India. In what is a story of valour and daredevilry, Patnaik reached Jakarta with his wife and managed to fly both Hatta and Sjahrir to India via Singapore.
Biju Patnaik was given honorary citizenship of Indonesia and awarded the title of ‘Bhumi Putra’ by the Indonesian government, a recognition rarely granted to a foreigner. Owing to his services to Indonesia, Biju had personal relations with President Sukarno. Patnaik had named Sukarno’s daughter as Megawati, who later went on to become her country’s president in 2001. This episode cemented not only Patnaik’s ties with Indonesia but also brought the two countries closer.
Now, Current Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has been carrying forward his father’s legacy in the state for which he has been rewarded by the electorate for five terms. He is looking for an encore in assembly elections next year. He is the third longest-serving CM in the country. On March 5, which happens to be his father’s birth anniversary, Naveen had taken oath as the state chief minister in 2000 for the first time.
For a regional party to have such a long stint is the success story of good governance mixed with astute politics. Naveen Patnaik had focused on the state, shunning any national ambitions, building infrastructure, and managing natural calamities creating role models for other states. The state is now talked about in glowing terms as it successfully hoisted World Cup hockey tournament.
As the country moves towards 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Naveen may continue to play equidistant for the political coalitions, but may not shy away from playing a kingmaker, if such a need arises.