Although loneliness stems from a feeling of social isolation, ironically, it is one of the most unifying human experiences. Another ironic aspect of loneliness is that it can occur even when one is surrounded by people. Here Jagjit Singh’s wistful singing comes to mind: “Har taraf, har jagah, beshumaar aadmi, phir bhi tanhaiyon ka shikaar aadmi” (Everywhere, every side, are huge numbers of people, yet man is prey to loneliness).

The bad news is, in the midst of worsening statistics regarding loneliness, mental health disorders have overtaken cardiovascular disorders as the leading cause of morbidity in the world. The good news, however, is that loneliness is not all that difficult to fix. It requires human interaction, kindness, empathy, good listening abilities and the will to engage deeply ~ skills which most humans possess.

The Covid pandemic reinforced this: Although strict quarantine laws and social distancing protocols confined people to limited spaces for months on end it also brought out how meaningful connections can be forged between strangers. Housewives cooked for their sick neighbours, doctors conducted free global webinars and concerned youngsters stayed awake overnight, accommodating time zones online, to boost the morale of those friends accidentally trapped in other continents, unable to return due to travel restrictions. In short, people reached out. This was heartwarming.

Yet there are barriers to such interaction. Our social structure inhibits people’s natural tendency to connect with each other. We are discouraged from socialising with people of different backgrounds, race, religion, caste and economic class. In extreme cases, there are “honour killings” (a complete misnomer for an honourless act): wherein some family members would rather see one dead than non-conforming towards social norms. My observations are that wealthier citizens have greater opportunities to forge friendships and connect. The privilege of time and resources is used to bond with friends at parties, soirees and cultural events. Even professional’ ‘networking’ seems easier when consequential deals can be struck over a game of golf.

In contrast, a lower middle-class woman is typically hard-pressed for time to foster social connections with peers as her children, in-laws and family are dependent on her. Though physically surrounded by her family members, there can be limited empathy, leaving the woman no outlet to unburden herself. The suicide rates among women in India was twice the global average in the period between 2014-2020 as per a study in Lancet Public Health. More than 50 per cent were housewives. Having slaved all their lives, many women feel that their only time and ticket to earn some........

© The Statesman