New Delhi, Mar 23: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that risking lives in the ongoing West Asia conflict was not in the interest of humanity and urged an immediate peaceful resolution to the crisis.
Addressing the Lok Sabha on the ongoing conflict in West Asia and the wide-ranging challenges it has posed for India, PM Modi said that the crisis has now persisted for over three weeks, with deeply adverse consequences for the global economy and human lives.
Underscoring the urgency of resolution and highlighting the gravity of the situation, he said, “The whole world is urging all parties for the earliest possible resolution of this crisis.”
Elaborating on the nature of the challenges confronting India, the PM said that the war had created unprecedented economic, national security, and humanitarian pressures.
He said that India had extensive trade relations with the warring and war-affected countries, that the conflict zone straddles critical trade routes, and that a large share of India’s crude oil and gas needs was met by this very region.
Drawing attention to the nearly 1 crore Indians who live and work in Gulf countries, as well as the significant number of Indian crew members aboard commercial ships in those waters, PM Modi said, “India’s concerns are naturally greater, and therefore it is essential that a united and unanimous voice goes out to the world from India’s Parliament on this crisis.”
Outlining the government’s swift response to safeguard Indian nationals, he informed the House that every Indian in the affected countries had been provided necessary assistance since the war broke out.
Stating that he had personally spoken, in two rounds, with the heads of state of most of the West Asian countries, all of whom had given full assurance regarding the safety of Indians, the PM said, “Those who are injured are being ensured better medical treatment, and in such difficult circumstances, necessary assistance is being provided to the bereaved families.”
Detailing the consular and institutional support framework activated for Indians abroad, he said that all Indian missions in the affected countries were continuously providing help, issuing regular advisories, and that 24/7 control rooms and emergency helplines had been established both in India and in other affected countries.
Underlining the proactive outreach, PM Modi said, “Through these mechanisms, prompt information is being provided to all those affected , whether they are Indian workers or tourists.”
Highlighting the scale of the evacuation effort, he informed the House that more than 3,75,000 Indians had safely returned to India since the war began, including approximately 1000 Indians from Iran alone, of whom over 700 were young medical students.
The PM said that the CBSE har cancelled the scheduled Class 10th and 12th examinations in Indian schools in the Gulf countries and was taking steps to ensure continuity of education.
Summing up the government’s approach, he said, “The government is sensitive, vigilant, and ready to provide every assistance.”
Addressing the critical question of energy supply, PM Modi acknowledged that large quantities of crude oil, gas, fertilisers, and other essentials reach India through the Strait of Hormuz, and that shipping through the Strait had become highly challenging since the war.
Stressing that the government’s focus had been on protecting ordinary families from hardship, and noting measures like prioritising domestic use of LPG and boosting its domestic production, he said, “Continuous work has been done to ensure that the supply of petrol and diesel continues smoothly across the entire country.”
The PM underscored how the energy diversification strategy pursued over the past decade had proven its worth in the current crisis.
He informed the House that India had expanded its energy import sources from 27 countries to 41 countries over the past 11 years, thereby reducing dependence on any single region.
Emphasising the foresight of this approach, PM Modi said, “In today’s circumstances, the steps taken over the past decade regarding energy security have become even more relevant.”
On the subject of strategic reserves, he said that India had prioritised the stockpiling of crude oil for precisely such times of crisis. The PM informed the House that India today possesses a strategic petroleum reserve of more than 53 lakh metric tonnes, with work underway to build reserves exceeding 65 lakh metric tonnes, in addition to the separate reserves held by oil companies. Highlighting the overall enhancement of India’s refining ecosystem, he said, “Over the past 11 years, there has been a remarkable increase in our refining capacity as well.”
PM Modi detailed the government’s active engagement with global suppliers and its vigilant monitoring of Gulf shipping routes to ensure the safe passage of ships carrying oil, gas, fertilisers, and other essential goods to India.
Noting the continuous dialogue with all global partners to keep maritime corridors secure, he said, “Due to such efforts, several of our ships that were stuck in the Strait of Hormuz have also arrived in India in recent days.”
Turning to India’s domestic energy transformation, the PM highlighted the extraordinary progress in ethanol blending, from a mere 1-1.5 percent a decade ago to nearly 20 percent today, which had reduced oil imports by approximately four and a half crore barrels per year.
He also cited the electrification of railways, which had saved roughly 180 crore litres of diesel annually, the expansion of the metro network from under 250 km in 2014 to about 1100 km today, and the provision of 15,000 electric buses to states by the central government.
Projecting confidence in India’s energy future, PM Modi said, “The scale at which work is being done on alternative fuels today will make India’s future even more secure.”
Addressing the broader economic ramifications, he acknowledged that energy was the backbone of the modern economy and that West Asia was a major source for global energy needs, making the current crisis a challenge for economies worldwide. The PM informed the House that the government was working with a comprehensive short-term, medium-term, and long-term strategy, supported by strong economic fundamentals, sector-specific stakeholder consultations, and a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group that meets daily to assess and resolve every difficulty in India’s import-export chain.
Expressing optimism, he said, “I am fully confident that through the joint efforts of the government and industry, we will be able to face these circumstances effectively.”
On the impact of the war on agriculture, PM Modi reassured the House that India’s farmers had ensured adequate foodgrain stocks and that the government was working to facilitate proper Kharif sowing and had built robust emergency food arrangements in recent years.
Recalling how, even during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated global supply chain disruptions, when urea prices soared to Rs 3000 per bag in international markets, the government ensured that Indian farmers received the same bag at less than Rs 300, he said, “In the past too, our government did not allow the burden of global crises to fall on the farmers.”
Detailing the structural steps taken to insulate Indian agriculture from external shocks, the PM said that six new urea plants had been commissioned in the last decade, adding over 76 lakh metric tonnes of annual production capacity, while domestic output of DAP and NPKS fertilisers had been increased by approximately 50 lakh metric tonnes and fertiliser import sources had been diversified.
Underscoring the breadth of these efforts, he said, “Just as we have diversified oil and gas imports, we have also expanded our options for the import of DAP and NPKS.”
PM Modi highlighted the government’s commitment to empowering farmers through innovations like made-in-India nano urea, the promotion of natural farming, and the distribution of over 22 lakh solar pumps under the PM-KUSUM scheme to reduce farmers’ dependence on diesel.
Addressing the challenge of rising summer electricity demand amid the ongoing war, he informed the House that adequate coal stocks were available at all power plants across the country and that India had set a record of producing 100 crore tonnes of coal for the second consecutive year.
The PM said that all systems from power generation to power supply were being continuously monitored and that the government’s preparedness had been significantly bolstered by the transformative strides made in renewable energy over the past decade, with half of India’s total installed power generation capacity now coming from renewable sources and the country’s total renewable capacity crossing the historic milestone of 250 gigawatts. Noting that solar power capacity alone had surged from approximately 3 gigawatts to 140 gigawatts in the past 11 years, about 40 lakh rooftop solar installations had been set up, 200 compressed biogas plants were now operational under the GOBARdhan Scheme, and that nuclear energy production was being encouraged alongside a newly approved Small Hydro Power Development Scheme that would add 1500 megawatts of capacity over the next few years, he said, “All these efforts are serving the country greatly today, and they will make India’s energy future even more secure.”
On India’s diplomatic response to the West Asia conflict, PM Modi said that India’s stand had been clear from the very beginning, one of expressing deep concern, advocating de-escalation, and opposing attacks on civilians and on energy and transport infrastructure. Informing the House that he had engaged with all relevant West Asian leaders and urged them to reduce tensions and end the conflict, and emphasising that attacks on commercial ships and obstruction of international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz were wholly unacceptable, he said, “India, through diplomacy, is making continuous efforts for the safe passage of Indian ships even amidst the war environment.”
Reaffirming India’s unwavering commitment to humanity and peace, the PM stressed that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path to resolution.
Noting that every Indian effort was directed at de-escalation and the cessation of hostilities, and that the endangering of any life in this war runs counter to the interests of humanity, he said, “India’s effort is to encourage all parties to arrive at a peaceful resolution as soon as possible.”
PM Modi also drew the attention of the House to the internal security dimension of the crisis, warning that certain elements attempt to exploit such situations.
Informing the House that all law-and-order agencies had been placed on alert and that security across all domains, coastal, border, cyber, and strategic installations, is being further strengthened, he said, “Whether it is coastal security, border security, cyber security, or strategic installations, the security of all is being reinforced.”
The PM said that the difficult global conditions caused by this war were likely to persist for a long time and called upon the nation to remain prepared and united, just as it had stood together during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Urging patience, restraint, and vigilance, and cautioning against those who may seek to exploit the situation by spreading falsehoods, engaging in black-marketing, or hoarding, he appealed through the House to all state governments to ensure strict monitoring and swift action against such elements.
Expressing his abiding faith in the collective resolve of the nation, PM Modi said, “When every government and every citizen of this country walk together, we can challenge every challenge, this is our identity, and this is our strength.”
About The Author
