NONSENSE! RUBBISH! BAKWAS! Monojit Lahiri attempts to check out this hugely dumb and misleading flawed mindset. Redefining masculinity, explains how India's cricket victory showed the world that tears are a sign of strength, not weakness.

When India won the World Cup a few days ago, predictably, all hell broke loose. What wasn't as predictable was the sight of our macho cricketing stars—almost without exception—weeping openly. They hugged each other with rare passion and feeling. The sober skipper was seen planting a kiss on the cheek of Hardik Pandya, completely uncaring of the persona that defined their collective swag, style, and cool in popular perception. Rohit Sharma collapsed on the ground and did some mud-tasting, paying tribute to the Barbados arena that gave him, his team, and most importantly, his nation, this momentous moment. King Kohli too was unbelievably tearful, with every member of Team India following suit. Were these stars suddenly acting like sissies, like girls or women with whom tears are a natural connection? Or was it a collective vent, unashamed and unabandoned, to their heartfelt emotion on spontaneous display in the face of an epic achievement? Tears of joy, without filter, with the entire nation joining in?

As poet John Keats once said, "A thing of beauty is a joy forever," capturing the essence of raw, uninhibited emotion. Tears (for men) have been forever perceived as one of the deadliest and most avoidable diseases, deeply shrouded in a sense of silent embarrassment, even shame attributed to someone pathetically not-man-enough. It's time to dump, trash, and dismiss this hugely insensitive, toxic, misogynistic mindset with ceremony, because emotion, feeling, statement, and empathy are NOT gender-specific. Tears are perhaps the most effective, meaningful, and healthy way to deal with feelings because they release emotions bottled up due to cultural, traditional, and societal pressures. They actually reveal emotions that allow for a deeper and truer connection with life.

Many have encountered situations that are so amazingly positive that they trigger tears automatically. Interestingly, a recent analysis has suggested that there are four different types of tears:

Affectionate Tears: When someone experiences an unexpected amount of kindness and love.

Achievement Tears: Where extraordinary performance comes into play—like the World Cup—where pride plays the biggest role.

Beauty Tears: When aesthetics come centre stage, and something overwhelmingly beautiful occurs—like a music performance, theatre, or painting, prompting a sense of awe that is heart-numbing.

Amusement Tears: When something is so crazily funny that you are in splits, with tears running down your cheeks.

At the end of the day, weeping for joy may be the most paradoxical human experience. The things that trigger activities that give meaning to life are the same—feeling deeply loved, achieving a major goal, helping others, etc. So basically, tears of joy are pointers to enriching the meanings of our lives.

As author Elizabeth Gilbert aptly puts it, "Embrace the glorious mess that you are." Embracing our tears, whether in moments of profound happiness or deep sadness, is part of that mess. It is a testament to our humanity, our ability to feel deeply and connect authentically with others.

So, guys, the bottom line is—RONA MANA NAHI HAIN. TUNNEL-VIEWED, RIGID, OUTDATED, CONSERVATIVE SOCHNA MANA HAI!!! Let us celebrate our emotions, our victories, and our vulnerabilities. Let us redefine what it means to be strong and embrace the power of tears.