(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners participated in the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair from January 18 to 31, 2024. It is the world’s largest non-trade book fair, Asia’s largest book fair, and the most heavily attended book fair in the world. This year, there were over 900 booths and an estimated 2.9 million attendees.
Practitioners participated in the 47th International Kolkata Book Fair from January 18 to 31, 2024.
People read Zhuan Falun, the main text of Falun Dafa, and Falun Gong.
Book Publisher Purchases Falun Dafa Books
Sreekanta Nir is the proprietor of Bedghor Library, a publisher and distributor of books. He happened to attend an instructional webinar held by practitioners prior to the book fair and was impressed by the practice’s moral principles of Truthfulness, Compassion and Tolerance.
He was happy to see so many fellow Bangladeshis looking for Falun Dafa books in Bengali at an online Falun Dafa informational class. He asked practitioners what he could do to help spread the practice in Bangladesh. He bought 10 sets of Falun Gong and Zhuan Falun in Bengali and said he would set up distribution channels to make them widely available in the province.
“The best way to help spread Falun Dafa in Bangladesh is to make the lecture books accessible to everyone,” he said.
Falun Dafa Receives Support from Bangladeshis
One elderly gentleman stopped by the booth to learn more about Falun Dafa. He expressed his sympathy and understanding when he heard how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) persecutes practitioners for their faith.
Most elderly residents of Kolkata have sad memories since the communist regime in West Bengal lasted for 34 years and ended just around 13 years ago, so he was able to relate to the persecution of Falun Dafa in China.
“The persecution might shock many people, but I believe that it does exist because I’ve seen this is what the communist regime has mercilessly done to poor people in our villages,” he said.
However, he also believes that the persecution will end soon, as more and more people around the world are waking up to the real impact of communism on societies.
Many attendees were happy to find that practitioners were selling Falun Dafa books in their native language of Bengali. Some people were also interested in the health benefits survey conducted on Falun Dafa by the Chinese government in the 1990s, which shows the efficacy of Falun Dafa at improving health. They asked if the practice could help them quit bad habits like smoking.
Several school and college teachers requested that practitioners visit their schools to teach their students the Falun Dafa exercises, and took the contact numbers of practitioners to schedule lessons. Some HR executives of large companies wanted to know if Falun Dafa was effective in stress management and said they would like to organize sessions in their companies.
Falun Dafa Attracts Local Media
Reporters from TV18, Zero Balanse and Up Words Magazine interviewed practitioners at the booth, and posted their interviews on YouTube. The reporters said they were glad for the opportunity to learn about Falun Dafa.
Zero Balanse interviews Falun Dafa practitioners.
Up Words Magazine interviews a Falun Dafa practitioner.
Sagnik Dey, a reporter from Zero Balanse, was impressed by the benefits of Falun Dafa for both the mind and the body. “This is what we need in today’s world. Improving our moral character will result in better health, rather than going to the gym and building our bodies. I hope more people will get to know about Falun Dafa, which is free of cost, and practice it sincerely.”
Reporter Abhijit Ganguly from Up Words Magazine was initially going do a story on a book launch. “I visited the Falun Dafa booth out of curiosity and I was glad I did!” he said. “I learned about Falun Dafa and I believe one can be a more compassionate and kind person by practicing it.”
He said that the principles of the practice are beneficial to people by allowing them to live in a more fulfilling way. “The principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance are the traits of humanity and the essential ingredients of a quality life,” he said.
Practitioners Share the Benefits of Falun Dafa
The practitioners at the book fair said they personally benefited from Falun Dafa and are eager to share the benefits they received with others.
Rona Junj lives in Vedik Village, in the distant suburbs of Kolkata. She said the book fair offers her the opportunity to introduce Falun Dafa to people.
She is of Korean descent, but came to India 14 years ago and learned about Falun Dafa while in India. Though she grew up Catholic, she had many unanswered spiritual questions and was able to find the answers in Zhuan Falun. She said practicing Falun Dafa gave her the strength and resilience to overcome difficulties in life, like the loss of her father six months ago.
She helps introduce Falun Dafa to the villagers where she lives. The Kolkata Book Fair, however, represents the opportunity to share the practice with millions. “The Kolkata Book Fair is what I eagerly look forward to every year,” she said.
“Falun Dafa is a miracle”
Prasanto Paik works as a bus conductor, and had developed multiple chronic diseases. He was forced to retire early because of an angioplasty and two other procedures.
He said he was fortunate to attend Falun Dafa lecture classes. He began to practice Falun Dafa’s five exercises and read Zhuan Falun. He regained a new life after two weeks of practicing Falun Dafa and was able to go back to work.
Prasanto said, “Falun Dafa is a miracle. Falun Dafa has changed my life.”
“Falun Dafa teaches me to become a better person.”
Anushree Sinha got to know about Falun Dafa four years ago at the Newtown Book Fair in Kolkata. She says she finds Zhuan Falun, the main book of Falun Dafa, to be like a manual to lead a better life and become a better human being.
“Every day I discover a new attachment and make an effort to get rid of it and so many of my health problems disappeared even before I realized it,” she said.Anushree lost her husband eight months back and was surprised how she could stay calm and composed and not feel depressed living alone, since her two daughters live in other cities.
“Master is always with me, and I feel I have to tell more people about the goodness and greatness of Falun Dafa,” she said.
She has taught Falun Dafa to students at schools and women in her local community. She also distributes flyers about Falun Dafa and participates in the online webinars where practitioners teach the exercises. Events like the book fair are especially important to her, however, since this is the venue where she discovered a better path in her own life.
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