In light of the confrontation between the US, Israel, and Iran, Tamil celebrity and Rajya Sabha MP Kamal Haasan posted a video on Friday outlining the need for energy conservation in India. The actor-politician said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's direction was quite realistic when discussing the sacrifices India made in the 1960s.
On Friday, Haasan released a video on Instagram and his official X handle with the message: "Through unity and shared sacrifice, India has overcome wars, shortages, and global crises before." The same sense of patriotism is needed now once again, he added.
"Today, I speak to you as an Indian deeply concerned by the impact of the Iran war," he said at the beginning of his video, expressing his serious concern over the violence. "The energy that fuels our homes and kitchens, fertilises and feeds our fields and crops, and powers our automobiles and industries has all become more costly due to rising oil prices and restricted marine trade routes. As a result, energy-saving regulations have already been implemented in more than 60 nations. The prime minister of Singapore recently asked his citizens to get ready for difficult times to come. We are a far bigger nation."
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India has overcome wars, shortages, and global crises before - through unity and shared sacrifice. This moment calls for the same national spirit again. ???????? pic.twitter.com/Mi56m0I4pD
— Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) May 22, 2026
Haasan added that it was time to put the nation's needs ahead of politics. "National responsibility must take precedence above party politics during such times. Governments will come and go, but the country will endure, as Mr Vajpayee ji eloquently stated. We contributed gold from our households to help our soldiers fighting at the border during the 1962 China War.
He added, "Today, India does not need such sacrifice. In 1965, when India did not have enough food grains, Lal Bahadur Shastri ji asked citizens to skip one meal a week for the entire nation." Given what our parents accomplished, we must undoubtedly do this for our nation.
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The actor-politician also emphasised that leaders must bear some of the responsibility in addition to the nation's population. "Keep in mind that every unit of energy saved today makes India stronger tomorrow."
Additionally, the poorest Indians are shielded from inflation by every drop of oil conserved. Street pedestrians will be impacted by geopolitics just as much as the wealthy and powerful. However, India will and can overcome this issue if we work together, he concluded.
Due to growing strain on India's foreign exchange reserves and shocks to the world's energy supply, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on May 10, had urged Indian citizens to implement voluntary austerity measures.
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