- PM Modi told Biden that India is ready to feed the world, but WTO is halting it from doing it
- India’s initiatives during Covid as well as the Russia-Ukraine crisis inspires confidence among nations
- India’s willingness to feed the world indicated a rise in soft power status, which is coupled with clearly visible hard strategic clout that India possesses
Does not matter what their intentions were, providing food to the impoverished countries of the world has been the biggest achievement of the liberal democratic world order. But, the end goal of liberalism is anarchy. The world is staring at an impending food crisis. As usual, India is ready for the challenge of feeding an increasingly hungry world.
PM Modi asserts India’s agriculture supremacy
PM Modi has confirmed that India is ready to supply food grains to the world. In fact, he talked to Joe Biden, the US President, about the same. The Hon’ble Prime Minister informed the nation about his interaction with Biden during a video speech on the occasion of the inauguration of the boys’ hostel and education complex of Shree Annapurna Dham Trust in Adalaj near Ahmedabad.
During his speech after the inauguration, he said, “The world is facing a new problem now; the food stock of the world is getting empty. I was talking to the US President, and he also raised this issue. I suggested that if WTO gives permission, India is ready to supply food stock to the world from tomorrow,”. PM Modi was referring to the crunch of nutritional resources caused due to the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
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WTO’s lamentable guidelines prevent India from feeding the world
The nation was happy to understand that the world was amazed to find the Modi government being able to provide free food to more than 80 crore Indians during a full-blown pandemic. PM Modi also lamented the world order, especially WTO’s rules and regulations for the fact that despite being ready, India cannot provide food grains to every country which needs them.
“We already have enough food for our people but our farmers seem to have made arrangements to feed the world. However, we have to work according to the laws of the world, so I don’t know when WTO will give permission and we can supply food to the world,”, said PM Modi
Read more: India’s decision to not participate in WTO meet has an underlying message for the whole world
India’s rise in the post-pandemic world
PM Modi’s assertive confidence about India’s capacity comes on the back of strong economic and agricultural fundamentals. When the Covid lockdown started, experts feared that since most Indians did not have formal jobs, they would slide into a poverty-stricken conundrum. Some feared that the fight for resources would lead to civil war in the country.
But the Modi government launched Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) to provide additional food to more than 80 crore Indians. Modi government’s PMGKAY not only provided food to the needy but also prevented the country’s economy from going down the rabbit hole. The IMF recently acknowledged its success in its report. IMF said that it prevented the risky rise of absolute poverty in India.
Read more: IMF’s report on India’s food security is a tight slap to detractors of Modi government
Not just in India, Modi government’s medical exports proved to be decisive in making the world a covid free space. Even before the vaccines were discovered, India exported various drugs which were being touted as a temporary solution to Covid-19. After the efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines was established, India took it upon itself to vaccinate various countries. Towards the end of February this year, India had exported 16.29 crore doses of vaccines to 96 countries.
Read more: From waiting for decades for vaccines to supplying 70% of global vaccines, India has come a long way
India’s increasing clout re-established
In the wake of the grain shortage caused due to the ongoing crisis, Piyush Goyal led Commerce Ministry is conducting a feasibility study of supplying food grains to the affected countries. A mechanism is already in place for any kind of emergency requirement. India has the capacity to do so as well. With the economy stabilising, shortly India’s exchequer won’t have the burden of feeding 80 crore Indians as they will be on their feet in no time. Moreover, our food grain production has only witnessed an increase during the Modi era.
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India is witnessing an expected but radical shift in its status. It has independent foreign policy, largely AATMANIRBHAR economy and defence manufacturing which helps to increase its strategic clout. The willingness to feed the world only indicated the simultaneous rise in soft as well as hard power.