PM Modi Warns The World Amidst A Global Crisis; Is Disaster Looming Due To Middle East Conflict?

Amsterdam: Amidst the ongoing wars across the globe, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has characterized the current decade as an era of escalating disasters. He warned that if these circumstances are not altered in the near future, the hard work and achievements of the past several decades could be wiped out. Furthermore, a vast segment of the global population could once again find itself trapped in the quagmire of poverty.

Arriving in the Netherlands—the second leg of his five-nation tour—Prime Minister Modi addressed the global crisis while interacting with people of Indian origin. He stated, "This decade has been a decade of challenges for humanity. First came the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by the outbreak of wars. Since then, the world has been continuously grappling with an oil crisis. Gradually, this decade is turning into a decade of disasters for the world." Elaborating further, the Prime Minister highlighted the looming threat facing a large section of the population. He remarked, "We can all see that if these circumstances are not reversed soon, the achievements of the past several decades could be undone. A significant portion of the world's population could once again sink into the morass of poverty."

It is worth noting that the world has been facing a continuous succession of crises—first the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, followed by the standoff between Iran and the United States. Although a fragile peace has returned to Iran following nearly 40 days of conflict, the Strait of Hormuz remains effectively under an Iranian blockade. The disruption in global oil supplies has deepened the global energy crisis. A troubling aspect of the situation is that both the United States and Iran are claiming victory in this conflict. Under these circumstances, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz does not appear likely in the immediate future.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets PM Rob Jetten of the Netherlands. pic.twitter.com/4coIkbVHwT

— Neelotpal Srivastav (@NS_Neelotpal) May 16, 2026

What Was PM Modi's Appeal to the Public Amidst the Energy Crisis?

Having endured a prolonged period of energy crisis, the government—in the first week of May—issued an appeal to the public to further reduce their energy consumption. While addressing an event in Hyderabad, Prime Minister Modi urged citizens to work from home whenever possible and to refrain from undertaking international travel unless absolutely necessary. Furthermore, he linked the conservation of fuel and foreign currency to acts of patriotism.

What Did PM Narendra Modi Say?

Buy Less Gold: A remarkable enthusiasm for gold is observed among Indians. However, if we look at the statistics regarding production and consumption, we find ourselves lagging significantly behind. Every year, India imports gold worth billions of dollars. This places considerable pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves. To alleviate this very pressure, PM Modi issued an appeal urging citizens to refrain from purchasing gold for the next year—regardless of the occasion or event. Following this appeal by the Prime Minister, the government has increased the import duty on gold.

Conserve Oil and Energy: In addition to gold, India imports the majority of its oil and gas requirements from abroad. Consequently, a substantial portion of our foreign exchange reserves is consumed by these imports. To safeguard these reserves and avert an energy crisis, PM Modi urged the public to maximize their use of public transport, carpooling, and electric vehicles, and to prioritize working from home. Speaking at an event in Hyderabad, PM Modi recalled the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that working from home had become the norm during that time. He suggested that, given this recent experience, people should face no difficulty in adopting that routine once again. Subsequently, Indian oil companies hiked the prices of both petrol and diesel by ₹3 each. Later, a price hike of ₹1 was also observed in the cost of CNG.

Curtail Foreign Travel: Prime Minister Narendra Modi also appealed to Indians to curb their foreign travel. He emphasized that India itself is home to a multitude of beautiful and magnificent destinations. Therefore, people should begin by exploring India before embarking on trips abroad. This approach would prevent any adverse impact on India's foreign exchange reserves. Representing a government that is continuously striving to conserve foreign currency, PM Modi stated, "To save foreign exchange and mitigate the adverse effects of geopolitical crises, we must endeavor to consume only as much as is absolutely necessary."

It is worth noting that the world, currently entangled in an energy crisis, shows no immediate signs of emerging from it. No agreement has yet been reached between the United States and Iran. On one hand, the U.S. continues to signal that it may once again launch an attack on Iran. On the other hand, Iran, too, shows no inclination to back down. Tehran has made it clear that if the United States and Israel launch an attack, the retaliation this time will be even more devastating. If hostilities resume between these two sides, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz would ensue, and the energy facilities of the Gulf nations would also be impacted. This conflict would prove to be a wake-up call—not only for Iran and the U.S., but for the entire world.