lay people, for whom having cash enough to meet the needs of daily life in particular and everything else contributing to hassle-free living in general matters most.

In this backdrop, the other indices attributed to global rating agencies such as Human Development Index may partly close the aforementioned gap in the two perceptions. Ideally, not even one citizen in the country’s population should have cause to feel disenchanted in life, being denied prosperity. The officially stated extent of poverty and unemployment in different years supported by data is not even of academic interest to these sections of population accounting for its considerable proportion. Geographical area of a country and its total headcount have to be in an optimum relation for sustaining prosperity. The question of this relation in the country at present has to be answered by the knowledgeable economists, socialists and analysts of public affairs.

Scholarly speakers take fascination to portray the country, now only a minor part of Bharathakhanda of ancient times, whose people reached great heights in virtually all spheres of human pursuits including astronomy, literature, music, sculpture, architecture, healthcare and so on, far ahead of the rest of the world then. Where do we stand now?

The promise of good days (achche din), attributed to the top brass in the incumbent Government, made on the start of its first innings in 2014 is being debated in many circles, some with optimism and others with customary pessimism. Both sides will do well by asking relevant questions the answers to which throws light on reality or otherwise relating to prosperity and consequent perception. The quantity and quality of country’s total food production, consumer goods, medicines, clothes, consumer durables, dwellings, electricity, water, fodder for livestock and the rest of resources appear to be in comfort zone. However, the access to these necessities of life on the part of the land’s population 100 per cent remains a challenge, particularly at times when monsoon brings either too much rain or too little.

This year’s scenario of agricultural land getting inundated resulting in crop loss and the country’s industry sector witnessing slowdown resulting in jobs loss, perception of prosperity in the camps of both economists and lay people may move nearer each other’s. That perception can be helped to be in comfort zone by resilience and will to survive, both on the lines of the saying “Winner never quits, Quitter never wins.”