Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the world is not yet back on a stable path of progress after the Covid-19 pandemic, with recurring conflicts continuing to stall the recovery, even as he asserted that the ongoing war-triggered crisis in West Asia will be overcome by the country’s 1.4 billion people together.
“We all remember that the whole world has faced countless problems for a long time due to Covid-19. In fact, we all expected that after emerging from the Corona crisis, the world would move forward on the path of renewed progress. However, situations of war and conflict continued to emerge in different parts of the world.” The Prime Minister said while addressing the nation on the 132nd episode of his monthly radio show Mann Ki Baat.
He referred to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which has now been going on for more than a month, stressing its direct effects on the country. “At present, there is a fierce war going on in our neighbourhood… More than a million Indians live and work in these countries, especially in the Gulf region,” Modi said, highlighting the size of the Indian presence in the region linked to the conflict.
The Prime Minister also pointed to the economic implications, especially on energy security. “The region where the war is currently taking place is a major center for our energy needs. For this reason, a crisis is emerging all over the world regarding gasoline and diesel,” he said.
Describing the moment as one of heightened uncertainty, Modi issued a call for collective restraint and vigilance. “I would like to once again urge all my countrymen to unitely overcome this challenge,” he said. “Those who are politicizing this issue should refrain from doing so.” “Therefore, those who are spreading rumours are causing great harm to the country…. As always, I am confident that just as we overcame past crises with the strength of our 140 crore citizens; this time too, together we will emerge victorious from this difficult situation.
Moving away from geopolitical concerns, Modi shifted the focus to local initiatives and community-led efforts, emphasizing public engagement as a key strength. He highlighted the Gyan Bharatam Manuscript Documentation Survey and the role of MY Bharat in engaging youth in policy making, including the budget test at the national level which saw the participation of thousands of youth.
The speech also touched on recent sporting successes, such as India’s T20 World Cup win and Jammu and Kashmir winning its first Ranji Trophy title in nearly seven decades, which he said would inspire youth participation in sports. Modi praised captain Paras Dogra and player Aqib Nabi for their performance.
He also stressed on grassroots efforts in water conservation, citing examples from Tripura, Chhattisgarh and Telangana, and noted that more than five million water harvesting facilities and 70,000 Amrit Sarovars have been set up across the country. “I am happy to see efforts being made at the community level in every village to address the water crisis,” he said. “In some places, old ponds are being cleaned; in other places, efforts are being made to conserve rainwater.”
