Based on their understanding of the past and the present, experienced, far-sighted authors are often able to accurately depict the future in their works. Phanishwarnath Renu, a man of many talents and an excellent portrayer of rural life, had this quality, too. He had done an in-depth study of rural society, which was in the middle of a transition. He had lived through the Quit India Movement of 1942 and had carved out a niche for himself as a revolutionary thinker and writer in the early years of Independence. Renu stayed abreast of the socio-economic changes sweeping through north India, Nepal, some parts of east India and the then East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). In some cases, he was also directly or indirectly involved in these developments.
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