In this thought-provoking conversation with Swakshadip, recorded in April 2025, we delve deep into the layered and often misunderstood notion of empathy. While empathy is widely celebrated as a virtue, our discussion highlights how it can sometimes be taken for granted within dominant systems of values and ideologies. When left unquestioned, empathy risks being co-opted into discriminatory practices or used as a surface-level tool for evoking emotions without driving meaningful change.

We explore the limitations of viewing empathy purely as personal compassion, arguing instead for a more critical, transformative approach. True empathy, Swakshadip suggests, is found in solidarity work, collective action, and standing up for systemic change, even when the injustice does not directly affect us or involve communities we belong to. This requires unlearning and relearning, widening our perspectives through engagement with communities beyond our comfort zones, and practising deep listening.

The conversation challenges us to recognise empathy not as a passive sentiment but as an active commitment to justice, equity, and transformation. It reminds us that fighting for change does not require academic expertise but rather the experiential learnings of life and the courage to act, whether in small or significant ways.