Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], May 11 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday reitrated his appeal to help navigate the economic challenges due to the geopolitical tensions in West Asia, calling for people to take collective responsibility for reducing the burden on the nation's resources.
Adressing the gathering in Vadodara in Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi noted that India does not remain "untouched" as the world has been going through a turbulent time, with COVID pandemic, economic challenges and the crisis in West Asia. He highlighted the gravity of the West Asia conflict by terming it "one of the major crises of this decade".
Calling for collective efforts to reduce imports, he said, "There is a need for all of us to come together and fulfil our responsibility to reduce the burden on the country's resources. India spends lakhs of crores of rupees in foreign exchange to import many products from abroad. At the same time, the prices of imported goods are soaring, and global supply chains have also been severely disrupted. Just as every drop fills a pot, every small and big effort matters. We must reduce the use of products that come from abroad and avoid unnecessary dependence on imported goods in our daily lives, and also avoid such personal activities that involve spending foreign exchange."
PM Modi stressed that his government is working to ensure minimum disruption to citizens' lives amid global crises.
"If the COVID pandemic was the biggest crisis of this century, then the circumstances created by the war in West Asia are one of the major crises of this decade. When we together overcame the challenge of COVID, we will surely get through this crisis as well. The government is also continuously making efforts to ensure that its impact on the people of the country is minimal," he said.
"Over the past few years, the world has been continuously passing through unstable circumstances. First, the crisis of COVID, then global economic challenges, and now the rising tensions in West Asia. The impact of all these situations is continuously falling on the entire world, and India is not untouched by it either," he added.
He further said that until things return to normal, small yet meaningful steps would contribute to the nation's interest.
"A major share of India's imports comes from crude oil. Unfortunately, the very region that supplies oil to a large part of the world is currently caught in a situation of conflict and instability. Therefore, until conditions return to normal, all of us will have to take small yet meaningful resolutions in our daily lives for the larger interest of the nation."
He urged citizens to cut down on petrol and diesel consumption by adopting public transport, electric buses, and carpooling. Furthermore, he encouraged working from home and reducing gold purchases to help lower India's import burden.
"Those who have a car should take more people along in one vehicle. Digital technology has now made so many things easy that technology's assistance will also be very beneficial for us. It is essential that priority be given to virtual meetings and work from home in both government and private offices... A huge amount of the country's money also goes abroad on gold imports. Therefore, I would urge all of you, my fellow countrymen, to postpone the purchase of gold until the situation returns to normal. Today, the need of the hour is that we turn "Vocal for Local" into a people's movement. Instead of foreign goods, adopt local products. Empower the entrepreneurs of your village, your city, your country."
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