Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday assured the country that the government was relentlessly trying to minimise the impact of the war in West Asia even as he warned that difficult global conditions might persist for a long time and called upon people to be prepared and united, just as they had during Covid-19. PM Modi addressed concerns related to the impact on fuel, fertilisers, and national security. (Sansad TV)
In a statement in the Lok Sabha – his first after the war broke out – Modi called the attacks on commercial ships and obstruction in the Strait of Hormuz as “unacceptable”, addressed concerns related to the impact on fuel, fertilisers, and national security, and said a unanimous voice should go out to the world from India’s Parliament on this crisis.
Re-affirming India’s unwavering commitment to humanity and peace, the prime minister said “all our efforts are aimed towards reducing tension and ending this war” and that farmers will not be allowed to bear the “burden of global crisis”.
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“This war has created difficult global conditions that may persist for a long time. Hence, we must remain prepared and united. We faced similar challenges during the Covid crisis with unity. Now again, we must prepare in the same way. With patience, restraint, and calmness, we must face every challenge-that is our identity, that is our strength,” he said. “At the same time, we must remain vigilant and cautious. Those who try to exploit the situation will attempt to spread falsehoods, but we must not let them succeed.”
The PM informed the House that “India has more than 53 lakh metric tonnes of oil in its strategic reserve” and is working for “65 lakh metric tonnes”.
“As far as diplomacy is concerned, India’s standing has been very clear. From the beginning, we had expressed our deep concern on this conflict. I spoke to all leaders of West Asia and urged everyone to reduce tension and end this conflict. We have opposed attacks on people, transport and energy. Attacks on commercial ships and obstructions in Hormuz strait are unacceptable,” he said.
“Amid this war, India is trying to secure the movement of its ships through diplomacy. We have always raised our voice for humanity and peace. I repeat that talks and diplomacy are the only way to end the problem. All our efforts are aimed towards reducing tension and ending this war. In this war, threat to any life is not in favour of humanity. India wants a peaceful resolution at the earliest.”
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Modi said that the war led to “unexpected challenges before India in terms of economic situation, national security and humanity”. “India has a major trade relationship with countries involved in the war and with those affected by the war. A large part of our demand for oil and gas comes from this region. Nearly 1 crore Indians live and work in the gulf region. A number of Indian sailors are also present in the commercial ships that sail in that region. The situation is worrisome. It is now more than 3 weeks. It has a negative impact on the world economy and the lives of the people.”
“India has more than 53 lakh metric tonnes of oil in its strategic reserve. We have increased our refining capacities. We are in touch with other countries to ensure supply from wherever possible. We are keeping a watch on the shipping routes near the gulf region. Our effort is to ensure that ships carrying oil, gas, fertilisers and other important goods should reach India safely,” he said.
The PM said that after the war started, the movement of crude oil, gas and fertilisers through the Hormuz strait had become very challenging. “It has been our effort to ensure that the supply of petrol and cooking gas doesn’t get majorly affected. We all know that we import 60% of our required LPG. Due to uncertainties in the supply, the government has prioritised the domestic supply of LPG. We are also increasing the production of LPG in the country. We have worked to ensure smooth supply petrol and diesel,” he said.
The PM announced that the government was relentlessly trying to minimise the impact of the war on India. “We know that energy is the backbone of the economy. And one of the biggest sources of global energy is from west Asia. Naturally, global economies have been affected by the current situation. We are relentlessly trying to minimise the impact on India. The government is working on short, medium and long term strategies. Today the fundamentals of the Indian economy are strong,” he added.
“A big question is how it will impact agriculture. Our farmers have kept our food stocks full. We are working to ensure proper harvest in the Kharif season. We have sufficient fertiliser to tackle any emergency situation.”
Modi predicted that the demand for power will grow in the summer months but said that all power plants had sufficient coal stocks. He also informed that he had spoken to all leaders of west Asia and secured assurance for the well being of Indians. “Till date, 3.75 lakh Indians have returned. From Iran alone, more than 1000 people, including 700 medical students, have returned safely.”
Congress’ Jairam Ramesh in a post on X, said, “The Prime Minister’s uncharacteristically short speech in the Lok Sabha today was, as usual, a master class in self-boasts, cowardice, and partisan dialogue-baazi. Not a single word was uttered in condemnation of the continued US-Israeli air assaults on Iran.”