Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s seven-point call to action for the citizens of India lays bare the gravity of the crisis in West Asia. On Monday, he reiterated his appeal for austerity, urging people to reduce fuel consumption, make greater use of public transport and electric vehicles, and defer gold purchases. This is not the first time the country’s leadership has called for austerity in the face of a crisis. A look back at the 1960s, when the then-prime minister Lal Bahadur Shastri made similar appeals. As home minister during the Chinese invasion of India in October 1962, Lal Bahadur Shastri felt that the Indian Army was unprepared to defend the country. At the same time, the threat from Pakistan remained ever-present. Strengthening India’s defence capability and restoring the morale of the armed forces, therefore, became an urgent national priority. But the crisis extended beyond national security.…