Former U'khand assembly speaker authors book of fiction

"Ek Thi Kusum", a collection of 17 short stories authored by Pant, was released here today by Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Quraishi in the presence of former Chief Ministers Bhuvan Chandra Khanduri and Ramesh Pokhariyal Nishank.

Talking to reporters after the book's release, Pant said the collection is an attempt to explore the pangs of common man as he tries to cope with a fast changing social milieu.

"The frantic pace of development has led to a major change in the way we look upon our social mores and traditions. Age-old Indian values like self-introspection and self-criticism have taken a back seat in the blind pursuit of material prosperity. This collection is about what we have lost in this mad rush," he said.