Sana Iqbal (16 January 1987 – 24 October 2017) [1] was an Indian solo female cross-country biker. She was on a solo mission to create awareness on suicide and depression. She did counseling on her Facebook page and helped students lead happy and meaningful lives by guiding them towards practicality and positivity.[2]
Early life
editShe was born in Hyderabad. Sana loved riding bikes since seventh grade. Born in a liberal Muslim family, she was raised with values which emphasised on humanity and purity of heart. An avid biker, a dedicated training professional and a student of Psychology made her eligible to execute the 'rarely thought about aspect of society'.[3][4]
Response to depression
editShe attempted suicide through a bike accident. At age 27, she biked to Gujarat with a death wish to be rammed by a bus or truck. The journey made her realize that peace can be attained by peace. Later she decided[5] to use a journey to give purpose to her suffering.
Her fight against her depression led her to become a hero for many youth. She gave workshops on awareness that "Suicide is not the solution". In her workshop she talked on matters that trouble young minds: matters as innocuous as acne to relationships, career, marriage, depression and suicide.[6] She also used to manage a facebook page named Suicide is not the solution with the help of her close friend and the current owner of the face book page, Arif Ali Mohammed. The Facebook page currently has 12000+ followers and Arif is trying to continue to spread the message Sana left him with.
Cross-country ride
editSana planned a cross-country solo trip to every state in India, starting from Goa in November, 2015.[7] She completed her mission on 13 June 2016, 2 days before her son's first birthday, after covering 2 countries, 111 cities, 29 states and 5 union territories traveling over 38,000 km which took her 6.5 months, while offering 135 seminars.[8] A grand welcome reception was arranged for her by her local Wanderers club. Two other clubs from Nagpur (UNIDO) and Kolkata (Eastern Bulls) rode with her from Nagpur to Hyderabad. Her journey was actively supported by various groups and clubs, predominantly the biking community of India.[9]
Personal life
editShe was a mother and was pursuing her master's in psychology along with corporate training sessions on behavioral skills.[8]
Death
editOn 24 October 2017 at 4 am she was travelling in a car with her husband Nadeem. The duo met with an accident which resulted in her death. Her husband, Nadeem survived the accident.[10] The accident took place at Narsinghi Gandipet road in Telangana. After the accident, a controversy arose when her mother raised complaints regarding the possibility of murder.[11]
Her husband was booked under section IPC 304A (causing death by negligence) and was let off on bail.[12][13]
References
edit- ^ "Rest in Peace ,Sana iqbal | scribhun". www.scribhun.com.
- ^ "Sana Iqbal on a mission of positivity for the youth". www.mpositive.in. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ S, Priyadershini (16 March 2016). "Sana Iqbal on a mission of positivity for the youth". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "'Biker Woman' Sana Iqbal rides on anti-suicide Mission -". Odisha News Insight. 26 March 2016. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Riding for life". 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Suicide is no solution, say city biking enthusiasts". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ S, Priyadershini (16 March 2016). "Sana Iqbal on a mission of positivity for the youth". The Hindu.
- ^ a b "Meet The Single Mom Who Traveled 38,000 Kms [sic] Through India To Spread Happiness". WittyFeed. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Pour vous". www.msn.com (in French). MSN. Archived from the original on 8 March 2023. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
- ^ "Anti-suicide campaigner Sana Iqbal dies in road accident". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "ബൈക്ക് സഞ്ചാരി സന വാഹനാപകടത്തിൽ മരിച്ചു; കൊലപാതകമെന്ന് അമ്മ". ManoramaOnline. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Hyderabad biker Sana Iqbal's husband arrested, let off on bail". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Woman biker Sana Iqbal's death: Husband pleads not guilty". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 November 2017.