On June 5, I wrote an Op-Ed in this newspaper on depression and briefly touched upon its frequent companion ~ loneliness. Space did not permit me to explore what I believe is one of the most serious yet least discussed problems confronting contemporary society. Depression attracts attention because its consequences can be dramatic. Loneliness, by contrast, often hides behind closed doors, polite smiles, social-media posts, and the appearance of normalcy.

Yet loneliness may be one of the defining afflictions of our age. In 2025, the World Health Organization reported that roughly one in six people worldwide experiences loneliness. It is no longer merely a private sorrow but a global public-health concern affecting young and old, affluent and poor, in crowded cities and remote villages alike. The paradox is striking. We possess more tools for instantaneous communication than any previous generation, yet rarely have so many people felt so isolated.

We can reach someone across the world in seconds but may not know the person next door. We accumulate contacts, followers, and online “friends,” while longing for one human being with whom we can speak honestly. The problem is not new. In The Conquest of Happiness, Bertrand Russell argued that human beings flourish when their interests and affections extend beyond themselves. Friendship, family, community, and meaningful engagement are not decorative additions to life but part of its foundation. Russell understood that happiness and belonging are intertwined ~ a lesson of renewed urgency today. India now faces social changes that make belonging increasingly difficult.

Urbanisation, migration, academic competition, demanding careers, and shrinking households have transformed traditional life. Young adults leave home for education or employment and find themselves in unfamiliar cities without dependable support. Older parents remain behind, sometimes separated from their children by thousands of kilometres. Research based on the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India found that more than a third of Indians aged sixty and above in its sample reported feeling lonely. That figure demands attention. India once possessed a powerful, if imperfect, defence against isolation: the joint family.

Grandparents, parents, children, uncles, and aunts often lived beneath one roof or nearby. Such arrangements produced tensions and obligations; nostalgia should not obscure that reality. Yet they also created a network of daily interaction and care. A child rarely returned to an empty home, an elderly person usually had someone nearby, and sorrow could be shared rather than endured alone. It is important to distinguish loneliness from........

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