Indian author Paro Anand thinks that everyone has their own story to tell.
She said: "I know that everyone needs to tell their own stories...but that story should be that no one was harmed, no one was hurt because of me."
The author was speaking at a solo session titled “Being Gandhi” at Bardhoman Building at Bangla Academy premises on the second day of the 10th edition of Dhaka Lit Fest on Friday.
At the beginning of the session, she read out a few passages from her book “Being Gandhi.”
She later participated in a question and answer session with the audience.
When asked about the writer's life from the audience, she said: “I write interesting stories for children, as children need stories.”
“When I work with children or young people then there is an opportunity to talk to children from poor homes, remote areas or those who are going through difficult situations, and I tell their stories,” the author added.
Regarding the responsibility of parents, the Indian writer said: “I am a mother, a grandmother too. My first duty is to protect my child. Teach them what they should do — do something from your place when you see something bad happening, even if it's just a dog being attacked.”
About her understanding of Gandhi, Anand said: “I didn't know much about Gandhi before writing the book. It's the simplest way I've seen to change the world. Do something if you see something bad. My children are now going to court on various matters, they are sitting before the chief justice of India. They are not only doing it for themselves, they are doing it for everyone.”
In response to the question of how important it is to tell one's story, she said: “Everyone has a story of their own. I always thought my life was not happy. But now that I notice it, I enjoy it. It's an important moral question; my story needs to be told.”