Go back to where you belong: There is no There There – Moumita Ghosh

“We made art and culture out of the mud and the asphalt and the concrete.”

The phrase relies on the assumption that individuals have a single, static place of origin. In reality, human history is defined by migration, cultural exchange, and globalization.Psychologically, belonging is a fundamental human need. True belonging is not restricted by borders, ethnicity, or nativity. Instead, it is found where individuals feel safe, esteemed , and cherished for their contributions. It is tied to shared human values, civic participation, and mutual respect rather than the geographic lottery of where one was born. Ultimately, the assertion of where someone belongs is best defined by the individual rather than imposed by society. 

If we read Namesake, we can understand how a migrated family urged to gain their individual belongingness. The mother Ashima always believes that only Kolkata can give her that, on the other hand her husband, Ashoke, although misses his ‘home’, remains a bit confused and crowded himself in echoing the culture of New York City….

In ‘There There’, Tommy Orange rips away the stereotype of the “historical” Indian to show what it feels like to belong to a place that tries to pretend you do not exist. For Orange’s characters, it means their original homes were taken, altered, and paved over so much that the “there” they belong to no longer exists…

Lisa Ko’s novel ‘The Leavers’ ,Deming Guo is an 11-year-old boy living in the Bronx with his mother, Polly, an undocumented Chinese immigrant. One day Polly leaves for work and never comes home. Adrift, Deming is eventually adopted by two white professors. The new family moves to upstate New York, and Deming is renamed Daniel, sparking a search for identity and cultural history…

The Last Lesson” is a poignant short story by Alphonse Daudet, set during the Franco-Prussian War. Franz, who usually dislikes his French classes, arrives at school dreading a scolding for not preparing his participle lesson. Instead, he finds the atmosphere solemn, his teacher M. Hamel dressed in his finest Sunday clothes, and the village elders seated at the back of the room as a sign of respect as that was the last of their French learning. M. Hamel delivers a moving speech explaining that their native language is a “key to their prison”….

Brené Brown’s research, notably in her TED talk and writings like ‘Braving the Wilderness’, argues that true belonging is not passive; it requires the courage to stand alone, self-acceptance, and vulnerability. Similarly, bell hooks writes about the power of inclusive, emotionally attached communities where everyone’s unique background and voice is valued.

Nora Krug’s graphic memoir, “ Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home” , explores cultural and ancestral belonging by investigating her family’s involvement in World War II. It asks how geography and inherited history shape our personal identity.

David Whyte’s poem “The House of Belonging” treats belonging as an inner temple of adult aloneness—a fundamental place of origin that starts with connecting to oneself. He writes, 

“This is the temple of my adult aloneness and I belong to that aloneness as I belong to my life. 

There is no house like the house of belonging.” 

Jibanananda Das is the ultimate poet of Bengali nature and spatial belonging. His poem– “Abar Asibo Phire” (I Shall Return Again) views belonging as an eternal connection to the geography of Bengal that even death cannot break. While Nazrul is known as the “Rebel Poet,” his writings on belonging focus heavily on communal harmony and collective human identity.

“হিন্দু না ওরা মুসলিম ?” ওই জিজ্ঞাসে কোন্ জন?

কান্ডারী ! বল ডুবিছে মানুষ, সন্তান মোর মা’র”

(“Who asks if they are Hindu or Muslim? Captain! Say instead that humans are drowning, the children of my mother!). On the other hand Rabindranath Tagore’s concept of belongingness rejects narrow political borders, instead viewing connection as a spiritual harmony between the individual, the natural world, and global humanity.In his short story ‘The Homecoming’, he highlights the deep human need for unconditional love. He portrays a young boy who gets physically and emotionally separated from his village, demonstrating how a lack of emotional support completely breaks the human spirit.

“মা, আমার ছুটি হয়েছে মা, এখন আমি বাড়ি যাচ্ছি।”(Mother, the holidays have come, mother; I am going home now.) This is the final utterance of Phatik. 

There are thousands of writings which show how it feels if you are not valued for yourself. Nowadays we’re shifting towards synthetic belonging. AI fundamentally changes how we relate to our own roots by acting as both a mirror and a filter. This root refers to both our cultural trajectory as a community and our individuality. 

Belongingness is far more than a comforting feeling; it is a fundamental human necessity that drives our social structures and individual well-being. Throughout life, the search for acceptance within families, cultures, and peer groups shapes our identity and mental health. While the modern world often fosters isolation, actively building inclusive spaces allows individuals to thrive. Ultimately, true belonging is a two-way street: it requires communities to open their doors with empathy, and individuals to embrace their authentic selves. Therefore if you ask me what does it mean to me, I would say—

“হৃদয়ের যে কোণে অভিনয় লাগে না, সেটাই আমাদের আপন ঠিকানা।”

(The corner of the heart where no acting is required, that is our true address.)

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Moumita Ghosh is a teacher at St Joseph’s school, Murshidabad. She loves to learn new languages. She has been associated with Convergence right from its inception, and has been an extremely committed teacher of German at Convergence. She teaches the language at different levels here.