Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday renewed his call for economic restraint, urging citizens to support the government’s austerity measures amid continued disruptions linked to the crisis in West Asia.
He asked people to avoid weddings in overseas destinations, reduce consumption of cooking oil and delay gold purchases as global instability continues to affect prices and supply chains. The Prime Minister has also now suggested that schools consider temporary online courses where possible.
He reiterated earlier calls, calling for lower fuel consumption, greater reliance on public transport and electric vehicles, and urged citizens to limit unnecessary travel abroad. He also recommended adopting measures to work from home, similar to practices during the pandemic, whenever possible.
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PM Modi has suggested that schools consider temporary online courses as a measure to conserve resources and mitigate the economic impact of the ongoing crisis in West Asia, similar to practices adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The crisis in West Asia has led to global economic uncertainty, disrupted supply chains and raised international oil prices. PM Modi has proposed reviving the work-from-home regime to reduce fuel consumption and foreign currency spending, easing economic pressure on India.
Citizens can help by adopting economic austerity measures such as reducing fuel consumption, limiting unnecessary travel abroad, postponing gold purchases and choosing to work from home where possible, as suggested by PM Modi.
The crisis in West Asia has negatively affected India by disrupting global supply chains and increasing international oil prices. This leads to higher import costs and puts pressure on foreign exchange reserves.
Yes, PM Modi has urged citizens to avoid holding weddings in overseas destinations and reduce unnecessary foreign travel. These activities involve significant expenditure in foreign currency, which India is trying to conserve during the current economic instability.
The call comes as a fragile ceasefire remains in West Asia, a region critical to India’s oil and gas imports and where tensions have fueled broader global economic uncertainty.
PM Modi recalls unity in fight against COVID-19 to overcome impact of crisis in West Asia
Addressing a rally in Vadodara after inaugurating the Sardar Dham Hostel built by the Patidar community, Prime Minister Modi avoided directly responding to opposition criticism of his earlier remarks on austerity measures and instead reinforced his call for such measures.
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He also noted that the ongoing conflict in West Asia, which began on February 28 following the joint US-Israeli attacks on Iran, had negative consequences for India as it disrupted global supply chains and increased international oil prices.
“First came the COVID-19 crisis, followed by global economic challenges and now rising tensions in West Asia. The impact of all these circumstances is constantly being felt by the entire world and India is certainly not immune to it,” the Prime Minister said.
He called the situation resulting from the conflict in West Asia one of the biggest crises of this decade.
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“However, just as we were united in the fight against COVID-19, we will undoubtedly overcome this crisis as well,” PM Modi told the gathering.
He noted that digital technology has made many things easier and emphasized the need to prioritize virtual meetings and work-from-home arrangements in both government and private offices.
“I would also urge some schools to prioritize online classes for the time being,” the prime minister said.
He said his government was constantly striving to ensure minimal impact of the crisis on ordinary citizens, but stressed that the country needed the power of public participation.
“As citizens of India, we have to prioritize our duties,” he said, adding that whenever the country faced a war or any major crisis in the previous decades, citizens performed their duties at the call of the government.
Read also | Why PM Modi asked Indians to avoid buying gold and what it means for prices
“Even today, there is a need for us all to come together and do our part, thereby easing the burden on national resources,” he insisted.
He pointed out that India was spending “hundreds of thousands of crores of rupees” in foreign currency on imports and noted that prices of foreign-sourced goods were soaring while global supply chains were disrupted.
“With every small and big effort, we must reduce our consumption of imported products and refrain from personal activities that involve spending in foreign currency,” the prime minister said.
The Prime Minister appealed to people to avoid foreign holidays and destination weddings, saying such activities involve significant foreign currency spending.
“It is imperative that we celebrate our holiday right here in India,” he said, adding that places like the Statue of Unity in Gujarat’s Ekta Nagar could serve as major tourist and wedding hubs.
Referring to oil imports, Modi said that a large part of the world gets its oil from the same region (West Asia) which is currently torn by conflict.
“Therefore, until the situation returns to normal, we all have to come together to take small, collective resolutions,” he said, raising the issue during his visits to Karnataka and Telangana on Sunday.
The Prime Minister appealed to the citizens to limit the consumption of petrol and diesel as much as possible and to switch to the metro, electric buses and public transport.
“Encourage carpooling; those who own cars should carry multiple passengers in one vehicle and those who own electric two-wheelers should step up and help others,” he said.
The prime minister called for a reduction in the consumption of edible oils, saying that the country spends considerable foreign exchange on their import.
“A significant amount of national wealth is also flowing abroad due to gold imports. I urge you all to postpone buying gold until conditions return to normal; it is not an immediate necessity (to buy gold),” he stressed.
Modi urged people to promote local produce and advised growers to opt for organic farming to reduce dependence on fertilizers, another major imported commodity for India.
“The need of the hour is to turn ‘vocal for local’ into a mass movement and embrace local products instead of foreign goods,” he said.
PM Modi mentioned that the collective efforts of 140 million citizens could serve as India’s greatest strength and added that no crisis should slow down the country’s development trajectory.
Following the programme, the Prime Minister also conducted a 1.5 km long roadshow in Vadodara.
