'Use oil wisely, prioritise WFH, don't buy gold for a year': PM Modi's message amid West Asia conflict
Speaking at a rally in Telangana's Hyderabad, PM Modi has urged people to save oil because of ongoing global uncertainty due to the US-Iran war in the Middle East. He, however, maintained that his government's priority remains safeguarding India's interests.
Amid growing global uncertainty triggered by the US-Iran war in the Middle East, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged people to use oil judiciously and focus on saving foreign reserves of India, while stressing that his government will continue working in safeguarding India's interests and the citizens.
The prime minister, who was addressing a massive public meeting in Telangana's capital city of Hyderabad, also pointed out that India's does not large oil wells, which further makes it important for citizens to save petrol and diesel.
"When the supply chain continues to be in crisis, no matter what measures we take, the difficulties only increase," PM Modi said. "Therefore, now we must fight unitedly, keeping the country and Mother India first. We must remember that patriotism is not just about dying for the country. Living for the country and fulfilling our duties to the country is also patriotism."
PM Modi advised people to use oil wisely, and reduce the usage of petrol and diesel. He said people must opt to car-pooling and use metro services in cities where they are available. Additionally, the use of electric vehicles (EVs) should also be promoted.
For sending couriers, he said railway services must be used.
"During COVID-19 pandemic, facilities like work from home, online meetings, video conferencing were used. Today, we should start using them again. Work from home, online meetings, video conferencing must be prioritised again," PM Modi said, while urging people to avoid non-essential gold purchases for a year.
"Additionally, we should focus on saving our foreign reserves. The growing culture of weddings abroad, travelling abroad, and vacationing abroad is becoming prevalent among the middle class. We must decide that during this time of crisis, we should postpone travelling abroad for at least a year," he added.
In his remarks, the prime minister also encouraged citizens to prioritise Made-in-India and locally manufactured products. Besides, he also advised families to reduce the consumption of edible oil, stressing that it also key to better health.
For farmers, he said focus should be given on reducing the usage of chemical fertiliser by 50 per cent. Moreover, natural farming practices need to be promoted, PM Modi said, while also encouraging adoption of solar-powered irrigation pumps for farming.
"Another sector that consumes foreign currency is our agriculture. We import chemical fertilisers in large quantities from abroad," he said. "We should reduce our consumption of chemical fertilisers by half and move towards natural farming. This way, we can save foreign currency and our farms and Mother Earth."
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