Around 40 families in Gajansu village, located near the International Border in Jammu, have switched to traditional wood-and-cow-dung stoves for cooking, responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to conserve fuel amid rising global crude oil prices. The pledge, made on 14 May, saw women in the village prepare chapattis and vegetables on traditional stoves, setting aside LPG cylinders.

Why PM Modi Made the Appeal

PM Modi's call to save petrol, diesel, LPG, and cooking oil — and to refrain from buying jewellery for a year — came against the backdrop of the ongoing West Asia conflict and the resulting spike in global crude oil prices. The appeal echoed similar nationwide directives issued during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the Prime Minister had urged citizens to follow lockdown guidelines.

What Residents of Gajansu Village Said

A woman from the village urged citizens across the country to make the same shift. 'Now is the time to rise when the country is facing difficulties. Everybody should shift to stoves to cook food to save cooking gas and oil,' she said.

Another resident drew a direct parallel with the pandemic period. 'There are 40 to 50 families in our village. Even during Covid, all of us followed the lockdown guidelines; this time too, we are adhering to his appeal,' she noted.

Residents also cited health and practical benefits of traditional stoves, arguing that food cooked on wood fires is healthier, that ash from the stoves can be used to clean utensils, and that cooking while seated is easier on the body than standing over a gas flame.

Border Resilience and Operation Sindoor

Ashwani, another resident of Gajansu, noted that border communities have a track record of standing firm during national crises. 'Even during Operation Sindoor, the majority of residents in border areas did not leave their houses despite shelling from Pakistan, and stood by the nation,' he said. He urged citizens to also carpool to conserve petrol and diesel, adding: 'There is nothing to be scared of, our country is independent enough.'

Broader Significance

The gesture from a village on the frontlines of India's border with Pakistan carries symbolic weight beyond fuel conservation. This is the second time in recent years — after the Covid lockdowns — that Gajansu residents have collectively responded to a prime ministerial call to action. Notably, the village's willingness to absorb hardship, from cross-border shelling to voluntarily giving up gas stoves, reflects a pattern of civic solidarity that resonates strongly in border districts of Jammu and Kashmir. Whether the initiative spreads to other villages and urban households will determine its practical impact on fuel demand.