Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent appeal urging citizens to reduce gold purchases, avoid unnecessary foreign travel and adopt work-from-home practices has triggered strong reactions among Delhi residents, with many questioning why ordinary taxpayers are repeatedly being asked to tighten their belts amid economic uncertainty.
While some citizens supported the call as a measure aimed at reducing pressure on the economy and stabilising the rupee, several others criticised the appeal as impractical and disconnected from the financial realities of the middle class.
Anamika, a Delhi resident, said rising gold prices had already made the precious metal inaccessible for most Indians. “Who buys gold these days anyway? It’s touching nearly Rs 1.4 lakh per 10 grams now,” she said, adding that gold ownership had increasingly become a luxury reserved for the ultra-rich. Breaking down the economic divide, she remarked that lower-income groups could not even dream of buying gold anymore, while for the middle class it had become more of an emotional attachment than a realistic purchase. “At this point, gold jewellery is slowly becoming a museum item for the common Indian,” she added.
Others questioned the government’s repeated appeals for personal sacrifice from taxpayers.
Yash, a marble trader from Delhi, described the appeal against travel as “absurd,” saying his work required constant movement. “It is my money, so I will do what I feel like doing with my money,” he said. Students too expressed frustration. Shreyansh, a college student awaiting his summer break, said such appeals overlooked the pressures young people were already facing.
“In this day and age, when the economic environment is already bad, the least we can do right now is live,” he said.
However, not all reactions were critical. Some residents defended the government’s concerns over inflation and the weakening rupee. Kriti, an engineer, argued that buying gold remained a practical hedge against inflation and currency depreciation.
