India, July 7 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday remembered and hailed former Odisha chief minister Biju Patnaik for his role in the Indonesian freedom struggle while speaking at the archipelago nation's parliament in Jakarta.

Patnaik played a death-defying role in the Indonesian National Revolution against Dutch colonial rule in 1947. At the request of Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Patnaik broke a strict Dutch blockade, rescuing top Indonesian resistance leaders and bringing global attention to their freedom struggle.

"Both our nations gained independence around the same time: Indonesia in 1945 and India in 1947. When it came to sovereignty as independent nations, India became a strong voice in support of Indonesia's indepen...