‘Decade of crises for world’: PM Modi warns ‘past achievements could be wiped away’ by Middle East war

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday warned that continuing wars and global instability could reverse decades of development and push large populations back into poverty, as he stressed the need for resilient and trusted global supply chains.

Addressing the Indian diaspora in The Hague during his visit to the Netherlands, PM Modi said the world was passing through an extremely challenging phase marked by the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, ongoing wars, and an energy crisis.



“First came corona, then wars broke out, and now there’s an energy crisis,” the Prime Minister said, adding that “this decade is becoming a decade of crises for the world.”

“If this situation does not change quickly, the achievements of past decades could be wiped away. A large section of the world’s population could fall back into the trap of poverty,” he added.

Against this backdrop, the Prime Minister highlighted growing cooperation between India and the Netherlands in building secure and transparent supply chains. “In such global circumstances, the world today is talking about resilient supply chains, and India and the Netherlands are working together to build a trusted and transparent supply chain,” he said.

The Prime Minister’s remarks came during a community event attended by members of the Indian diaspora, where he also praised the Indian community in the Netherlands for preserving their cultural roots while contributing to Dutch society.

“So much love and enthusiasm... to tell you the truth, for a while I completely forgot that I’m in the Netherlands. It feels just like some festival is going on somewhere in India,” PM Modi said.

He described the stories of Indians settled abroad as “stories of progress amid countless struggles” and praised the diaspora for continuing to preserve Indian languages and traditions across generations.

PM Modi also reflected on India’s political and economic transformation over the past decade, recalling the 2014 Lok Sabha election results that brought the BJP-led NDA government to power with a full majority after decades.

“Today is May 16, and this day is very special for another reason as well. Twelve years ago today, on May 16, 2014, something special happened,” he said, adding that the election results had marked the return of a stable majority government in India.

“The faith of crores of Indians does not let me stop, nor does it let me tire,” the Prime Minister said.

Further highlighting India’s economic growth, PM Modi said the country had emerged as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem and was increasingly becoming a hub for innovation, manufacturing, and green energy.

Read more: 'May 16 is very special' - PM Modi recalls 2014 mandate in Netherlands speech

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also highlighted the sporting ties between India and the Netherlands, noting the contribution of both countries to each other’s sporting ecosystems.

“Netherlands performed well in the T20 Cricket World Cup in India,” Modi said, adding that just as Indians had contributed to Dutch cricket, the Netherlands too had played an important role in Indian hockey.

He specifically mentioned former India women’s hockey coach Sjoerd Marijne, saying he had played a “significant role” in the growth of Indian women’s hockey.