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NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked citizens for responding positively to his appeals aimed at helping the country navigate the ongoing crisis in West Asia. He said people have not only supported his requests but are actively implementing them in their daily lives.Addressing the nation during the 135th episode of his monthly radio programme Mann Ki Baat, Modi said, “In view of the prevalent war-like situation in West Asia, I had urged countrymen on a few points. I had asked people to avoid buying gold for some time, as far as possible. I am grateful to every citizen of the country; not only have they supported my appeal, they are also actively cooperating in every way.”The Prime Minister’s remarks come months after he urged citizens to adopt measures such as reducing fuel consumption, opting for carpooling, avoiding non-essential foreign travel, choosing Swadeshi products, cutting cooking oil consumption, embracing natural farming and temporarily curbing gold purchases amid heightened tensions in the region.Highlighting the public response, PM Modi said many citizens had shared their experiences through messages and social media. He noted that people travelling in the same direction daily had increasingly begun carpooling instead of using separate vehicles.“Many families have shared their experiences with me through messages. People have shared many experiences regarding carpooling as well. Those who used to travel in their own vehicles in the same direction every day have now started commuting together,” he said.On his appeal to reduce gold purchases, PM Modi said several families had decided against buying new gold even for weddings, choosing instead to recycle existing jewellery.“Numerous families have decided not to buy gold for weddings in their homes this time; if the need arises, they would recycle old gold to create new jewellery. Many people have even written on social media how they have postponed their foreign travel this time,” he said.Meanwhile, market analysts expect gold prices to remain volatile in the coming weeks amid global macroeconomic uncertainty. As news agency ANI quoted Senior Manager-Commodities Research at Kotak Neo, Riteshkumar Sahu, “Spot gold has managed to recover from its recent seven-month low after a sharp fall earlier this week, but the overall trend remains weak. Recent US inflation data largely matched expectations and provided some temporary support as US bond yields eased.”He added that investors continue to closely watch inflation data, US bond yields and geopolitical developments for further direction.
