India

Back To Village: Hrudananda Prusty’s Book Calls For Stronger Rural Communities

Author and public policy professional Hrudananda Prusty unveiled his book Back to Village at a literary ceremony held at Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, on Saturday.

The event brought together distinguished personalities from public life, governance, academia and literature. It celebrated the connection between individuals and their roots while encouraging discussions on rural India, youth aspirations and community development.

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Member of Parliament and former Union Minister of Education, formally released the book in the presence of Prof KG Suresh, Director of India Habitat Centre and former Director General of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, and Dr Ishita Ganguly Tripathi, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Defence.

Addressing the gathering, Dharmendra Pradhan said, “You have to be rooted, and you have to be futuristic.”

“His book is not going to be a nostalgic book only but a call for action,” he further observed.

Lt Gen Chandi Prasad Mohanty (Retd), former Vice Chief of Army Staff, shared his connection with village life, saying, “My village is something I’ve grown with. It remains in the heart of my soul.”

Prof KG Suresh appreciated the author’s creativity and youthful perspective in capturing village memories and experiences.

Carrying the tagline, ‘You may leave your village, but your village never leaves you’, the book reflects on childhood, family, traditions and the values shaping individual identity.

Beyond nostalgia, the book highlights the need to strengthen rural India through education, healthcare, infrastructure, digital connectivity, employment and entrepreneurship. It encourages young people living away from their hometowns to contribute to grassroots development.

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Vishal Tiwari, Editorial Consultant

With over fifteen years of experience in journalism, I currently serve as Editorial Consultant at Bharat Express News Network. I am also an appointed member of the Hindi Advisory Committee under the Ministry of Home Affairs. Previously, I served as an Assistant Editor at NewsTalk, a monthly magazine focused on tribal issues. In 2014, I became the Delhi representative of an English magazine published from Lucknow, and later joined Rashtriya Sahara in 2016. During the anti-corruption movement led by Anna Hazare, I documented the police action during Baba Ramdev’s protest at Ramlila Maidan through photo reportage. My work also includes publishing a commemorative volume on socialist leader Raj Narain and curating an exhibition of books authored by Members of Parliament that featured works by 132 MPs. Beyond journalism, I am also a Visiting Faculty at the Delhi School of Journalism, where I share my experienc and practical knowledge with aspiring journalists.