Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged people to reduce dependence on imported foreign goods as prices rise due to the war in West Asia that has been going on for more than two months and threatens global supply chains.
“India is spending thousands of crores of foreign exchange to import several products from abroad. At the same time, prices of imported goods are rising and global supply chains have been severely disrupted,” Prime Minister Modi said at an event in Gujarat on Monday, explaining that “small efforts” would lead to bigger gains. Track updates on the US-Iran war
“Just as every drop fills a pot, every small or big effort matters. We must reduce the use of products that come from abroad and avoid unnecessary dependence on imported goods in our daily life and also avoid such personal activities that involve spending foreign exchange,” Modi said.
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He said that while the COVID-19 pandemic was the biggest challenge of this century, the crisis caused by the conflict in West Asia is one of the biggest crises of the decade.
The Prime Minister stressed that “the West Asian crisis is one of the worst crises of the decade. Just as we overcame the Covid-19 pandemic, we will emerge from this as well.”
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He said that the responsibility lies with all citizens to reduce the burden on the country’s resources. “Even in previous decades, whenever the country went through a war or any other major crisis, every citizen performed his responsibility in the same way in response to the government’s call.” Today too, there is a need for all of us to come together and fulfill our responsibility to reduce the burden on the country’s resources.
He stressed the need to use more public transportation to save diesel and gasoline.
Modi’s repeated calls for energy conservation
Over the past few days, Prime Minister Modi has made calls for wise use of resources and adoption of cost-cutting measures in their daily lives as the country faces the economic fallout of the Iran-US war.
Modi urged people to avoid buying gold for next year, postpone travel abroad and shift to working from home as oil prices continue to rise against the backdrop of the war.
During a BJP rally in Hyderabad, Modi said India must conserve foreign exchange reserves and reduce fuel consumption as global supply chains remain under pressure due to rising tensions in West Asia.
One of the main effects of the war was the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping routes, raising fears of prolonged supply shortages.
Modi’s repeated calls for energy conservation and wise use of resources as the stalemate over the peace process between Iran and the United States continues. US President Donald Trump rejected Iran’s recent peace proposals, describing them as “unreasonable.” This has pushed global crude oil prices above $105 per barrel and exacerbated concerns about inflation and energy security around the world. Iran has proposed transferring part of its stockpile of enriched uranium to another country while refusing to dismantle its nuclear facilities – a major demand of the United States.
Modi’s promotional campaigns amid ‘Save Petrol’ appeal are drawing criticism
Modi’s appeal on Sunday, in which he urged Indians to cut fuel consumption, avoid buying gold and work from home wherever possible, sparked a political row, while also playing a role in the sharp decline in the stock market on Monday. His call for fuel conservation has come under fire, with critics pointing out the stark contrast between his austerity message and his busy schedule of roadshows and convoys.
By Monday, he had made roadshows in Somnath and headed to Vadodara, making it three roadshows in 12 hours, other X users pointed out. In the five days leading up to his speech, he had made five roadshows in total, including in Patna and Kolkata.
