While the Modi government celebrates PR victories, millions are struggling with unemployment, stagnant wages, rising household debt, and soaring prices of essentials. The stock market may be making headlines, but economic growth means little when ordinary people can't find decent jobs or keep up with the cost of living. For years, critics were dismissed as "anti-national," "urban Naxals," or opposition agents. Now even senior citizens who have witnessed India's economic journey firsthand are questioning the widening gap between government claims and ground reality. A government that spends more time managing headlines than solving problems eventually runs into a simple obstacle -- facts. No amount of branding can hide unemployment. No slogan can reduce inflation. No propaganda can substitute for economic competence. The real question is: how much longer can perception outrun reality ?
