 "Why is Russia honouring ex-Odisha CM Biju Patnaik on Victory Day?")
Russia will honour former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik on Victory Day. The Russian embassy in New Delhi has invited Naveen Patnaik, the late Odia leader’s son and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president, to attend a special reception in recognition of his father’s bravery on the Eastern Front during World War II.
The event will be held on Victory Day, which is annually celebrated on May 9. This year will mark the 80th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in the Second World War, which is known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union.
But what is Biju Patnaik’s connection to the Great Patriotic War? We will explain.
Russia to honour Biju Patnaik
The Russian embassy is hosting a reception to mark the 80th anniversary of Victory Day in New Delhi on Friday (May 9).
It has also sent an invitation to former Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik to attend the event. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be the chief guest.
“In this solemn moment of pride, grief, and unwavering remembrance, we honour those who stood together against Nazism in the anti-Hitler coalition and commemorate the heroic deeds of the people of the former Soviet Union and its allies who bore the brunt of the most brutal conflict in human history,” Russian Ambassador Denis Alipov wrote in the invitation.
“Among the heroes we pay tribute to is your late father, Biju Patnaik ji, a towering personality and a valiant pilot of the Indian National Airways who participated in the Stalingrad Operation, supplying weapons to the besieged Red Army,” he added.
“In 1995, Russia decorated Biju Patnaik with the jubilee medal — 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 — for his feat of bravery and courage,” Alipov mentioned in the letter.
Russia will pay tributes to towering leader Biju Patnaik for his valiant role in aiding Soviet Red Army in the Battle of Stalingrad against Nazi Germany during the Second World War
— Soumyajit Pattnaik (@soumyajitt) May 5, 2025
To commemorate Biju Babu's contributions to Stalingrad operation, Russian Ambassador in India… pic.twitter.com/q4dv55plH6
Biju Patnaik’s valour in Second World War
Biju Patnaik is remembered as a ‘daredevil pilot’. He started training at the Delhi Flying Club in 1930, and went on to join the Royal Indian Air Force in 1936.
Patnaik was a pilot with Indian National Airways in the early 1940s. During the Second World War, he flew to deliver crucial supplies to Soviet troops without being deterred by the Nazi forces, as per the Odia daily Pragativadi.
His efforts helped the Soviets to persevere during the siege of Stalingrad.
In July 1942, the Nazi Army bombed the Soviet city of Stalingrad, triggering one of the bloodiest conflicts. As the German Sixth Army tried to capture the city, the Soviet Red Army launched a counteroffensive to halt the Nazi troops.
They eventually defeated the German soldiers, who were forced to surrender after being completely cut off from their supplies. The Battle of Stalingrad became a turning point in the war between the Soviet Union and Germany.
According to Odisha Review, during World War II , Patnaik partook in several risky operations, including aiding Chinese revolutionaries. He also evacuated British families from Rangoon, or Yangon, when the Japanese invaded Burma, now known as Myanmar.
Describing Patnaik’s heroics, an obituary published in The Independent on May 1, 1997 read, “As an officer in the Royal Indian Air Force in the early 1940s, Patnaik flew innumerable sorties to rescue British families fleeing the Japanese advance on Rangoon, the capital of Burma. He also dropped arms and supplies to Chinese troops fighting the Japanese and later to the Soviet army struggling against Hitler’s onslaught near Stalingrad.”
While rescuing the British in Yangon, Patnaik, who was inspired by Mahatma Gandhi, used to drop leaflets from his plane on the Quit India Movement for Indian soldiers fighting against Myanmar.
Indonesia’s ‘Bhoomi Putra’
Biju Patnaik is hailed as a hero in Indonesia for his role in the country’s freedom struggle.
Indonesia gained freedom from Dutch rule in 1945, leading to the formation of a government led by President Sukarno.
However, in 1946, the Dutch began invading Indonesia again. They launched an all-out attack in July 1947 and put Indonesian Prime Minister Sutan Sjahrir under house arrest in Jakarta.
Jawaharlal Nehru, who was friends with Biju Patnaik, requested him to fly Sjahrir and then Vice President Mohammad Hatta out of Indonesia, as per ThePrint report. Patnaik agreed to fly one of his Dakota planes into the Southeast Asian country.
Despite the Dutch threatening to shoot down his aircraft, Patnaik flew out Sjahrir and Hatta to Singapore and then to India.
In 1950, the Indonesian government conferred the title of ‘Bhoomi Putra’ on Patnaik and gave him an honorary citizenship for his courage.
With inputs from agencies
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