Brij Bhardwaj
newsagency12@gmail.com
Countries in Asia in particular and the rest of the world in general are facing a crisis following the outbreak of war between the United States of America and Israel, and Iran. This has led to a breakdown in the supply of petroleum products. It has happened as Iranians have blocked the strait of Hormuz through which twenty per cent of world crude is moved to feed countries of Asia and the world.
The result is countries in the region are resorting to measures like four day weeks, schools and colleges closed, rationing with a slowdown in supply of petroleum products. The airlines are raising fares. With the price of crude oil touching 100 dollars a barrel, there is a mood of gloom all round. Fear is if conflict continues the world will face a serious situation with inflation rising and economic slowdown.
India will also face a serious situation as it imports nearly eighty per cent of our requirement of crude oil. To fill the gap with disruption of supplies we have turned to Russia and the USA. At present the situation is better in India as compared to our neighbours. Shortages have led to imposition of the Essential Commodities Act to regulate the supplies. At present, some sectors who get commercial gas cylinders are facing difficult times while the public in general is protected. There is no increase in the price of petrol or diesel. Gas prices however have been raised.
India has to deal with the situation as there is a fear that if the war continues for a long time, it could lead to inflation and a slowdown of economic activity. Another sector which may suffer are farmers as there will be difficulties in getting fertilizers in sufficient quantities. India is in touch with different parties involved in the conflict and has argued that all differences should be resolved through diplomacy and talks instead of war. There is, however, no doubt that in coming time we have to carefully navigate through a difficult situation. Another area of concern will be safety and welfare of a large number of Indians in the Gulf region who remit large sums of money to India which help in meeting the gap between imports and exports.
So far we have taken a neutral position in the conflict and are in a position to play a role. Even the United Nations Security Council has failed to bring the warring countries towards a dialogue instead of war. The present situation is not easy with the Russian conflict with Ukraine, Pakistan’s war with Afghanistan, and the conflict in the Gulf between Iran and USA and Israel. The result is a situation in which Asia in particular is being made to pay a price even though they did not start the war.
One had hoped that President Trump, who had been voted on the promise that he would end all wars, had resolved old conflicts instead of launching more attacks. Under the circumstances the only hope is that India remains united and we work to safeguard our interests in India as well as Indians in countries involved in the conflict. It is testing time for all and few will emerge out of it unscathed, with either a loss of face or their country ruined. It will take years to undo the damage done in a few days of bombing or by drones and missiles flying all round. Unlike in the past when tanks leading or soldiers marching as adversaries have no common border. So you can be hit by a drone or missile launched miles away, or a plane circling above, guided by satellites.
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