NASIR YOUSIFI
SRINAGAR: Moved by increased incidents of drug abuse in the community, a nature lover takes to adventure to spread the message for humanity. With a slogan scripted clear on his T-Shirt against drug menace, adventurist goes on solo bicycle ride to and fro from Srinagar to Kargil.
Mir Itrat Hyderi, 27 year old young man from Bagwanpora area of Srinagar is an ardent nature lover and adven-turist. A business man by profession, Hyderi often slips into mountains for trekking and do bicycle riding at high altitude places. Though the adventure is a routine in his life, the young boy has recently shot to fame for his coura-geous and brilliant solo bicycle ride from Srinagar to Kargil and back. Completed in about 5 days from May 4 to May 8, the solo display of biking techniques and stamina from a young lad was overwhelmed by a beautiful message- ‘Save Humanity, Avoid Drugs’. Hyderi did not only carried his bicycle and biking techniques all along, But he car-ried the more important message regarding the drug abuse in the society.
“The main purpose of my solo ride was to spread a message against drug abuse in society. It is painful to watch the disgusting condition of some youth who are addicted to these drugs. The menace has devastated many lives and has put the honour of many families at stake. Through this ride, I wanted to reach the masses enroute to spread the message against the drug abuse in our society ”, says Hyderi, while explaining the main reason behind his long dis-tance bicycle ride. I want to tell the people especially youth that the world is full of beauty and worth to live. To-day’s youth can engage him or herself in constructive activities like sports, games, mountaineering and other nature enthusiastic activities. These activities are helpful in many ways. Apart from maintaining discipline in our life, these activities help in maintain physical as wel as mental fitness of an individual.
The main aim of my solo ride is to encourage youth to participate in activities which are a source of physical , mental an aesthetic development, Hyderi adds while elaborating upon the motive behind the bicycle ride.
Driven by his passion for adventure and unflinching regard for the youth of the society, A young businessman says that it took him about 35 hours and 30 minutes of actual paddling to ride to and fro from Srinagar to Kargil and back. Though few of my friends asked me get a new bicycle for this high attitude long distance ride, I intentionally rode on this very bicycle to show the youth that one does not need a high cost equipment for the purpose, But a will-power to achieve the goal. These days our youth ask for high cost sports and games equipment. But if there is a will, the goals can be pursued with meager resources too, the young adventurist Hyderi says.
Divulging details about his experience from the trip, Hyderi says that he has been overwhelmed by the positive response from the general public back at home as wel as enroute. While crossing the Zojilla pass, I was warmly greeted and treated by a group of food stall owners at Zero point. These people did not only offered me free food but also valued my endeavour of spreading the message for the common good.
“You have taken on to such a great task for the welfare of the humanity. How can we charge you for a tea or few loaves of bread? Please consider this a small contribution to humanity from our part” , said Showkat Ahmad, a stall owner and these words still echoes around me to my solace.
Recalling one more incident along the track, Hyderi says, that on reaching a village Chanigund near the Kargil town, I was greeted by whole village. Almost every one women, children and men from the village greeted me , hon-oured and respected me. I had printed the slogan ’Save Humanity, Avoid Drugs’ on five T-Shirts. And they took selfies and photos with all of them. The praise and warm regard I got from the village for this humane act is self mo-tivating and an inspiration for me in the future.
Hyderi says that in order to inspire the youth and inculcate a culture of nature enthusiasm in them, He is going to do more such adventures with the greater message for humanity in near future.
