(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners in India recently participated in two major book fairs, in Vijayawada in December 2023 and in Puducherry in January 2024. Both events attracted book lovers from all walks of life, including students, doctors, lawyers, police officers, actors, tourists, and public figures.
The Falun Dafa booths at both events were in prominent locations and attracted people with colorful displays that featured paintings from The Art of Zhen Shan Ren (Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance) International Exhibition. The positive aura of the artwork and practitioners’ exercise demonstrations drew many people to their booths to learn more about Falun Dafa.
The Falun Dafa booth at the 27th National Book Fair in Puducherry
Vijayawada Book Festival
The 34th Annual Vijayawada Book Festival was held at Government Polytechnic College from December 28, 2023, to January 7, 2024. Located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, Vijayawada – which translates as “the Place of Victory” – is surrounded by hills of the Eastern Ghats and is a site for religious pilgrimages.
The practitioners’ booth not only featured paintings and informational posters, but also a large wooden replica of Zhuan Falun, the main teachings of Falun Dafa.
A large replica of the book Zhuan Falun was on display at the Falun Dafa booth in Vijayawada. Translated into more than 40 languages, it is the main teaching of Falun Dafa.
Impressed by The Zhen Shan Ren International Art Exhibition paintings, many visitors asked about Falun Dafa and the persecution illustrated in the artworks. They were shocked to learn the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has persecuted practitioners in China since 1999 with brutal methods, including state-sanctioned forced organ harvesting from living practitioners.
A man from Vijayawada who works in China visited the booth with his wife and learned how the CCP has persecuted Falun Dafa for 24 years. He took photos of the displays and said he would share the information with his friends and colleagues in China. He would tell them Falun Dafa is freely practiced in India and even has a booth during a book fair in his city.
J.D. Lakshmi Narayana (left), a former Additional Director General of Police in Mumbai and a politician, spoke with a practitioner. He said he first heard about Falun Dafa during the 2022 Hyderabad National Book Fair.
Tanikella Bharani (left), a well-known Indian actor, screenwriter, and director of Telugu cinema, visited the Falun Dafa booth and learned what is going on in China.
A tourist from North India stopped at the booth to look at the paintings and posters asked if the persecution of Falun Dafa in China had ended. When asked how he knew about it, he said he’d seen practitioners in Australia peacefully protesting in front of the Chinese Embassy in Canberra. He wished Falun Dafa practitioners all the best.
After hearing about Falun Dafa’s principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, one man said, “A human being must get rid of jealousy to be at peace.” He was interested in the Falun Dafa teachings and bought a copy of Zhuan Falun.
Another visitor agreed with the Falun Dafa teachings and left with a copy of Zhuan Falun. “If a person can manage to practice the divine principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance,” he said, “he would be like a divine being himself."
Several other visitors also spoke highly of the principles and said they were much needed in today’s society. They encouraged practitioners to keep spreading the information and Falun Dafa’s uplifting principles. Many people asked where they could learn the exercises.
Newspaper Reports on Falun Dafa
A reporter and a photographer from Andhra Jyothy, a Telugu language newspaper, visited the Vijayawada booth on January 3, 2024, and took pictures of the Zhen Shan Ren International Art Exhibition paintings. They asked detailed questions about Falun Dafa and published an article on the practice the next day.
Andhra Jyothy published a report on Falun Dafa on January 4, 2024. It is the third-largest Telugu language daily newspaper and is mostly circulated in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana (Screenshot courtesy Andhra Jyothy).
The Andhra Jyothy report introduced its readers to Falun Dafa and its principles, saying the qualities of “Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance should exist in all human beings.” The report noted that, although all religions and spiritual gurus generally talk about similar values in their teachings, Falun Dafa specifically focuses on cultivating one’s morality.
A Fruitful 275-Kilometer Journey
Pulla Subramanyam is a 71-year-old practitioner who traveled 275 km from his hometown of Hyderabad to participate in the book festival in Vijayawada. He said he was “truly touched” when he saw people’s overwhelming support for Falun Dafa. A total of 92 books were sold during the event.
“I met people of all ages, and most of them are looking for a spiritual practice like Falun Dafa. When people learned about the basic features of the practice, most of them, regardless of their age, asked for a copy of Zhuan Falun,” he said.
Subramanyam has been practicing Falun Dafa for over 16 years. In 2007 he first saw a group of people doing the Falun Dafa exercises in a park in New Zealand. Drawn by the peaceful exercise music, he joined them and learned the exercises. He said the moral teachings in Zhuan Falun have deeply touched him and changed him for the better.
“I haven’t had any health issues since I started practicing Falun Dafa, but before that I suffered a lot,” he said. “The practice has helped me immensely. Even when I faced the toughest times in my business, suffering a huge loss, the Falun Dafa teachings helped me stay balanced and composed.”
People were surprised to learn Subramanyam’s age after seeing him working at the booth. “When they asked how long I’ve been practicing, they usually remarked, ‘Maybe it’s because of your practice’s anti-aging effects that your health is so good.’ Even the person at the booth next to us commented that I was very active for my age,” he said.
Puducherry Book Fair
The coastal city of Puducherry, also known as Pondicherry, hosted its 27th annual book fair from December 22 to 31, 2023. Falun Dafa practitioners have participated in this book fair for seven years.
The booth displayed the main books of Falun Dafa in English and Tamil languages as well as selected artworks illustrating the persecution happening in China. Visitors, young and old, were interested in learning the exercises and asked for more information about the ongoing persecution. Practitioners distributed fliers and brochures to the visitors and also informed them about the all-India online Falun Dafa classes.
A woman learning the Falun Dafa exercises during the Puducherry book fair
Bookstore owner Syed Mohamed Hadi was shocked to hear about the suppression of Falun Dafa in China. “I’ve never heard of this horrible crime before. Please bring the Falun Dafa books to my store. I will display them,” he said.
A father and his son came to the Falun Dafa booth. He was impressed by the core principles of Falun Dafa and the moral values. He was also aware of the fact that the CCP will do anything to maintain its power, even if it means killing innocent people. His son started to learn the movements for the fifth exercise.
When his father asked him if he liked doing the exercises, the son smiled and said he did.
Father (left) and son learning the Falun Dafa exercises
A school headmaster who had seen practitioners at past book fairs was pleased to run into them again. He was interested in the practice and planned to learn the exercises at a practice site on the beach.
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