Indian cross-country woman biker from Hyderabad, Sana Iqbal, who had taken up the fight against suicide and depression by spreading awareness through her bike rides, died in a car accident on the outskirts of Hyderabad on Tuesday morning.
Twenty-nine-year-old Sana and her husband were travelling to Tolichowki on the Outer Ring Road (ORR) near Narsingi when their car rammed the median.
Saluting the motivation that she rendered, here is her story of when she had set out on a journey to help people combat depression and understand mental health better. Read on ---
Can a thumbs up by a fellow commuter, while you ride a bike, save a life? Well, it did in ana Iqbal's case. It was a day when Sana left home with the motive of ending her own life. But while she was on her bike, a waving hand and a few words of appreciation helped her bounce back from a depressed state she was into.
A kind gesture not only saved Sana's life but gave her a new direction in life where she wanted to help others fighting their own battles. There were over a lakh suicides recorded in India. The numbers bothered Hyderabad's Sana Iqbal, who decided to travel across the country to spread a message --- Suicide is NOT a solution.
"Thousands die due to depression in our country and I know how they feel before taking this extreme step. But now I also know that there are ways to beat it and people need to know how to execute it," Sana believes. "People will tell you to love your life but only a few can tell you the solution to get yourself out of depression. Only you can find your own happiness," she says. And Sana did find her happiness. "When I ride, I forget about everything else and the new energy tells me that suicide is not the solution," she says.
So, to share her experience and let people know that if she can get out of depression, anyone can, Sana began a campaign on awareness on suicide, its causes, traits.
A woman on a mission, Sana plans to ride her Bullet Electra 350 CC across the country. In her bid tell the world that there are various ways to come out of problems, Sana has traveled across 44 cities in four months to meet students.
There is a reason Sana shares for choosing students as her audience for the workshops. She believes, "Students have a very impressionable mind. Like we learn Mathematics in elementary school and never forget the basics, if given the correct insight, students can build a better future for themselves."
In her six months journey, of which she has completed four months, Sana admits that she has seen life more closely. "When your bike breaks down in the middle of nowhere and you get help from complete strangers, it helps you imbibe your faith in humanity again," she smiles.
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Not a fan of promoting negative incidents, Sana says, "Yes, there have been incidents where I was eve-teased but the helping hands across the whole country have been way more in numbers. I would like take those memories home rather than cribbing about a few bad incidents," she says.
One, who started with Rs. 40,000 in her account, still has no sponsorship but that doesn't stop her from pursuing what she wants. Sana plans finish in two months and says, "Even if I save a single life in my journey, I will consider this a success," she signs off.
Sana Iqbal has truly touched many lives and has inspired millions. Peace to her soul and strength to her family.
