Chennai, May 22 (IANS) Actor-politician Kamal Haasan has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to convene a national summit of all Chief Ministers to evolve a coordinated mechanism to protect ordinary citizens from the economic fallout of the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict.

He also backed PM Modi’s call for the saving of energy, saying national responsibility must rise above politics in this time of crisis.

In a four-minute video message posted on X, Haasan expressed concern over the growing global crisis and its impact on India’s economy and households.

“My dear fellow countrymen, today I speak to you as an Indian deeply concerned over the impact of the Iran war. The crisis is on the rise as sea trade routes are blocked. Our kitchens and homes are affected. Oil and fertilisers have become more expensive. About 60 countries have imposed energy-saving measures following the conflict,” he said.

Referring to the Prime Minister’s recent appeal for fuel-saving measures, Haasan said PM Modi had already spoken about the need to prepare for energy-saving measures and urged citizens to save fuel over the coming year.

“In moments like this, national responsibility must rise above politics,” he said.

The actor recalled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s well-known statement in Parliament in 1996: “Governments will come and go, but the nation shall remain.”

“Sacrifice cannot be expected from citizens alone. Governments should also share the burden,” he said.

Haasan proposed two immediate measures to reduce inflationary pressure on the citizens. “First, state taxes like VAT on petrol and diesel should be reduced. Secondly, metro and train fares should also be cut so that more people can shift away from private vehicles,” he said.

“Remember, every unit of energy saved strengthens India’s tomorrow. And every drop of oil saved protects the poorest Indian from inflation,” he added.

Warning that the geopolitical crisis would affect both the rich and the poor alike, Haasan said, “But if we face this crisis together, India will and can emerge stronger.”

Drawing parallels with earlier national crises, Haasan said Indians had always united during difficult times.

Recalling the 1962 war with China, he said, “We donated gold from our homes to support our soldiers fighting on the border.”

He also referred to the food shortages during the 1965 war with Pakistan, when former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri appealed to citizens to skip one meal a week.

“Today India does not need such sacrifices. Surely, we must do this for our country during a crisis when our parents did much more in the past during grave challenges faced by India,” he said.

Praising the growth of renewable energy under the Modi government, Haasan said India’s solar and wind energy capacity had increased significantly over the past decade.

He stressed that renewable and nuclear energy were important to reduce dependence on imported oil and gas.

–IANS

snj/skp