On 22nd November 2025, at the Shaam-e-Baazgasht Kolkata edition, a dear friend and neighbour from the audience affectionately introduced me by saying, “He is a very passionate animal lover.” That evening, it felt heartfelt. Warm, even. But over the last few weeks, I have slowly started hating this term — animal lover. Especially because I have increasingly seen it being used by people who have a problem with feeding strays, taking care of their health, or ensuring their wellbeing. Very often, the phrase is not used as a compliment anymore. It is used as a sneer. A label. A weaponised word meant to alienate anyone who chooses compassion over convenience and indifference. “Here comes the animal lover again…” And the implication is usually clear — emotional, irrational, troublesome, impractical. But tell me something honestly. If people who show compassion towards animals are called animal lovers, then what do we call people who actively oppose kindness towards them? Would animal haters be an appropriate antonym? I’m genuinely open to improving my English. Because the irony is difficult to miss. The same people who mock compassion are often the loudest voices speaking about “health risks,” “danger,” “disease,” and “public nuisance,” while sitting […]

Not long ago, I was sitting in a café with my girlfriend when our conversation drifted towards my past. We spoke about old relationships, childhood memories, and experiences that I had long since moved on from. They were no longer open wounds, yet some part of me still carried traces of pain associated with those moments. As I spoke, I found myself touched by a quiet sadness—not the kind that overwhelms or debilitates, but the soft melancholy that remains after grief has already been processed and understood. Sensing it, she held my hand and gently said, “You know you can cry if you feel like it.” What surprised me was not her statement but my own response. Almost instinctively, I replied, “Of course not.” “Why not?” she asked. “I’m a man.” The moment those words left my mouth, I could almost see years of calling myself a feminist and speaking against gender stereotypes crumble before my eyes. Here I was, someone who had spent years questioning social conditioning, unconsciously carrying one of its oldest messages: “Men don’t cry!” That thought stayed with me. And this morning, while sitting by myself, I found myself wondering why we were taught this in […]