Living austerely in this world riven by conflict

Spending, investing, and planning in mega terms for India to develop is one thing; reckless splurging, with scant regard for the natural environment thrown into the process, is another. We must make our choices carefully

- Gopalkrishna Gandhi

Fuel and chemical fertilisers were high on the list of things that were obviously already under strained supply and likely to turn very soon very short in stock. That we must use them without wasting them was sound and essential advice coming from the PM.

(REUTERS)

When a Prime Minister (PM) urges prudence and self-limitation in the use of commodities and processes that are scarce or under strain, we can be sure there is a problem.

When a Prime Minister (PM) urges prudence and self-limitation in the use of commodities and processes that are scarce or under strain, we can be sure there is a problem. So, our PM did precisely what any leader would and should do. The first thing that occurred to me, as must have to millions of others, was this: “The West Asia crisis started weeks ago. Should this caution not have been shared some weeks ago? Was there not a need for it immediately after the Strait of Hormuz went into seizure? Did oil and LPG supplies not turn thin right then? Should vehicles not have been asked to cut down on fuel and the work-from-home advisory issued weeks ago?”

But that was also election time, and campaigns could not have been conducted online. Yet, it is undeniable that the advisory was slow in coming. But it is not just the delay that was puzzling. It was the atmosphere around the crisis. If the PM’s worries were building up, though he kept them to himself due to campaign compulsions, the cause for his worries itself was not being shared by the government in the same terms. We were being assured that stocks were sufficient and no anxiety on that score was warranted. And it is true that supplies kept going without startling shocks.