Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday (May 10) called on citizens to use less fuel, work from home, and reduce imports, as surging global energy prices strained the country’s foreign currency reserves, Reuters reports.
“In this time of global crisis, we have to make a resolution keeping duty paramount and fulfil it with complete dedication. A big resolution is to use petrol and diesel sparingly. We must curb our use of petrol and diesel,” Modi told a rally in Secunderabad.
Modi said work-from-home arrangements, widely used during the pandemic, would serve India’s national interest if brought back. He also urged farmers to halve their fertiliser use, saying the savings in imported fertiliser would ease pressure on reserves.
Analysts described Modi’s appeal, made at a public event in the southern city of Hyderabad on Sunday, as the “most drastic” so far.
“Patriotism is not only about the willingness to sacrifice one’s life on the border. In these times, it is about living responsibly and fulfilling our duties to the nation in our daily lives,” Modi said.
“In the current situation, we must place great emphasis on saving foreign exchange,” he added.
Urging people to use public transport such as the metro, Modi suggested people carpool to conserve fuel. He also asked farmers to reduce use of fertiliser by half.
The effect was visible on Indian markets on Monday – analysts say Modi’s comments was one of the reasons the benchmark Sensex index fell more than 1,000 points in early trade amid fears of prolonged economic disruption.
