'Tolstoy's greatness relevant even today'

Referring to the challenges and numerous social problems being faced by many countries in the 21st century, Kadakin said it was not accidental that in many countries one can witness a growing interest towards Tolstoy’s literary and philosophic heritage. He was speaking after releasing the book “A Hundred Years of Lev Tolstoy and the Indian Connection,” written by Achala Moulik, former Karnataka additional chief secretary. The book is remarkable for the deep understanding of the subject and impartiality of assessments, the ambassador added.

Kadakin said: “At times, he is not fully comprehended even at home, where his legacy is still perceived and adopted only selectively. Many of his important philosophical works, including those highly appreciated by Mahatma Gandhi, were virtually inaccessible to the general public. Moreover, even in the post-Soviet period not all of the “ideological” works of Tolstoy were re-published.”

Tolstoy’s interaction with the Mahatma, the ambassador said, was of crucial importance with India’s greatest son considered one of ideological successors of the Russian thinker. “I venture to assert that at the grassroot level, perhaps even more than in Russia, for India Tolstoy personifies a thinker, a tireless seeker of ‘satya’. This eternal quest was consonant with Mahatma Gandhi, who pursued essentially similar ideals, though against a different historical, cultural and religious background.”