Descendants of Gandhi & Tolstoy recall their bond

Jaipur: Jaipur Literature Festival concluded Monday with a discussion on the ideological bond between Mahatma Gandhi and Leo Tolstoy. Featuring their descendants —Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Daniil Tolstoy—the session ‘Two Sages: Gandhi and Tolstoy' delved into how Tolstoy's writings shaped Gandhi's philosophy of non-violence and satyagraha.Gopalkrishna Gandhi said Gandhi's initial adherence to non-violence was merely as a practitioner, but reading Tolstoy's ‘The Kingdom of God Is Within You' turned him into a true believer. "Tolstoy's book made Gandhi even more conscious of his ‘inner voice'—the guiding conscience he equated with truth," he said. The session was moderated by Manasi Subramanium.Daniil explained how Tolstoy's influence came at a pivotal stage in Gandhi's struggle in South Africa. While already inspired by John Ruskin and Henry David Thoreau, Gandhi found in Tolstoy a spiritual and ethical anchor. "Tolstoy's philosophy of resisting evil with good rather than violence gave Gandhi a moral framework not just to fight the British in India but to challenge hatred and violence on a global scale," he said.Gandhi highlighted a recent instance from sports that embodies Gandhian and Tolstoys ideals. He recalled how after Neeraj Chopra's javelin triumph, his mother, when asked about Pakistani athlete Arshad Nadeem's performance, responded, ‘Nadeem is also a great sportsman, like my own son.' "That moment of true human connection is something Gandhi and Tolstoy would have deeply embraced," he reflected.The discussion also touched upon ‘Letter to a Hindu,' a manuscript where Tolstoy reinforced that true resistance must be rooted in non-violence.

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