“Why would anyone find my life interesting?” And then as he proceeded to share parts of what he thought was an ordinary life. I was struck by the deep rooted humility of Dr. Prakash Tyagi. It's a rare quality that stands out. There is no drama in his narrative and a real belief that what he is doing is nothing exceptional. This is the story of a simple man, a loving son, a quiet leader, who is reluctant to admit his monumental role in the story of GRAVIS.

Sublime and simple, his calm demeanour is probably one of the most striking things about Prakash. That, along with his deep love for his parents, who had a towering influence on his life. He is a second-generation leader who has inherited a strong legacy that would have been a burden for anyone else to carry.  But Prakash carries it with grace and love for his people. 

His personal journey is so entrenched in the story of his parents and the growth of his work, it becomes difficult to separate Prakash out of it.

Prakash’s parents Laxmi Chand Tyagiji and his wife, Shashiji, were highly educated and deeply inspired by the Gandhian philosophy of rural development.  Motivated by JP and Vinoba Bhave’s clarion call, they had been serving in the most backward villages of Bihar during the famine. Prakash was born in Banwasi Sewa Ashram in Sonbhadra (then Mirzapur) which was a tribal area, and later moved with his family to the most deserted parts of Rajasthan. He was six years old then.

The move to Rajasthan was inspired by Acharya Kriplani, with full awareness that the State had a paucity of organisations that worked with people at that time. Rajasthan was suffering with a culture of subservience and the onslaught of technological advancements that did not suit the local realities of the people. It had led to unsustainable changes which were ecologically disastrous for the communities.