An 82 year old veteran social activist’s book ” PRAVASI PRADHAAN” released at Garhwal Bhawan on 4 th April
A 419 pages’ book titled “PRAVASI Pradhan” was released in an impressive function at Garhwal Bhawan, Panchquin Road, New Delhi. The attraction of the event was a highly spirited, enthusiastic n dedicated social activist, an 82 year old gentleman Prem Dutt Tiwari who’d authored this book highlighting the travelogue when he went to his village in connection with the marriage of his nephew in Tehri Garhwal, few kilometres away from Chamba via Rishikesh but stayed there for next five years instead of coming back to Delhi leaving his wife n children in Shakarpur, Delhi just because he wanted to serve his interior village devoid of all basic facilities like health centre, water pumping station, community centre, road and school etc.
After serving in central government for four decades Prem Dutt Tiwari retired in 2002 n served as a dedicated village head for incessant five years till 2008, finally coming back to Delhi after he by the dint of hard work and dedication made his village a MODEL VILLAGE, bringing road, a school, health centre n a pumping station etc.
A sincere and committed social activist since 1980 having always participated in community social affairs in Delhi as well while being in government job, Prem Dutt Tiwari who is 82 today instead of looking after his health, wife and children’s comfort, prefered to dedicate his life for the development of his village n other surrounding villages awakening the youths n senior citizens towards their social responsibilities and making the once backward nondescript village into a prosperous village sending a healthy message to other adjoining villages of the surroundings in Tehri Garhwal.
His urge however, did not end here. After coming back to Delhi in 2008 serving as village head for five years with utmost dedication, octogenarian Prem Dutt Tiwari penned down a 419 pages’ book titled PRAVASI PRADHAN working on it for about two years. This book also mentions about the historical iconic figures, their sacrifice and contribution of the freedom fighters and social reformers like Madho Singh Bhandari of Maletha who sacrificed his son n brought water by digging underground water canal to irrigate agricultural lands and eminent freedom fighter Shridev Suman who gave his life while on 84 days hunger strike in Tehri jail fighting against the then police repression, tyranny of the Rajshahi. etc.
This fantastic piece of writing highlighting various incidents and aspects, shades of life during his five year term while confronting various sour, bitter and sweet experiences , Prem Dutt Tiwari finally came out with a well documented book in Hindi.
The book “PRAVASI PRADHAN” WAS ON 4 TH APRIL RELEASED BY CHIEF GUESTS n eminent personalities Dr. Hari Suman Bisht, a prolific writer, literateur and thinker, former cabinet minister of Uttarakhand n state president Kishore Upadhyay, AAP’s national spokesman Harish Awasthi, Dr Harish Lakhera, senior journo, president Uttarakhand Journalists Forum Sunil Negi, Editor of National Books Trust Pankaj Chaturvedi, Vinod Nautiyal and Arjun Singh Rana etc.
The book release event was inaugurated by lightening of the lamp by these dignitaries and the programme was jointly anchored by senior journalist Sunil Negi and Ajay Bisht of Garhwal Hiteshini Sabha.
Addressing the audience the chief guests Dr. Hari Suman Bisht and Kishore Upadhyay heartily lauded the great efforts of octogenarian author Prem Dutt Tiwari and said that his incessant dedication, devotion, determination and perseverance towards social service throughout his life while being in government job and after retirement to upgrade his village by bringing road, school, water pumping station community and health centre making it a MODEL VILLAGE is an exemplary and outstanding example of a retired employee dedicating his entire life towards the decentralised development of his village, leaving behind his family n wife at Delhi.
Both the speakers catagorically said that others should follow suit from Tiwariji’s dedication n hard work and repatriate to their villages to bring all round progress n prosperity in Uttarakhand especially when the wrong and anti people policies of the successive governments have encouraged massive migration resulting in villages becoming vacant and the concept and real purpose for which separate Uttarakhand state was formed becoming of no relevance.
Dr. Harisuman Bisht while lauding the contents of the book congratulated Prem Dutt Tiwari heartily for bringing out such a magnificent documentation of the challenges faced by him during his tenure as the village head from 2003 to 2008 and urged the people of Uttarakhand, bureaucracy, politicians, village pradhans n Punchayati chiefs to read them thoroughly to gain knowledge n experience regarding pursuing various developmental works and projects in Uttarakhand villages.
Former minister Kishore Upadhyay assured of his maximum help to ensure that the book reaches all the government colleges, schools n libraries provided his government comes to power in Uttarakhand. Kishore Upadhyay dwelt of issues of Jal, Jungle and Jameen of Uttarakhand in depth and urged its inhabitants to come back to their villages to make them prosperous and progressive.
He assured his all possible support and help to provide facilities and maximum concessions to villagers in electricity, water tarrifs and emphasised that employment generation and protection of jungles n natural habitats is the need of the hour.
The author of the book Prem Dutt Tiwari narrated his sweet n sour experiences during his five year old tenure as the village head and expressed his gratitude towards his wife and family who had been the source of inspiration and moral support during thick and thin while he was in village.
Dr. Harish Lakhera also lauded the efforts of Mr. Tiwari for his untiring efforts after retirement and wrote the foreword for the book.
Senior journo Umakant Lakhera was also felicitated on this occasion. Vinod Nautiyal, Sunil Negi, Harish Awasthi of AAP and NBT editor Pankaj Chaturvedi spoke at length and dwelt on Uttarakhand issues urging people to fight for their rights and said that Uttarakhand’s so called successive governments have so far betrayed the hilly people creating massive unemployment, doing nothing to improvise the health and education sector and meeting the genuine demands and aspirations of its inhabitants despite the state gaining separate state two decades ago.
