VIRUDHUNAGAR: "Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." - JK Rowling.
Twenty seven days after leaving his home at Sopore of Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir to spread a message, Manan Hassan (23), a final year undergraduate student was at Virudhunagar to take a short break before continuing his 4,000-kilometre-long bicycle journey to Kanyakumari, his last stop. Hassan's long day begins at 7 am and ends after covering at least 200 kilometres on his bicycle.
Hassan embarked on his mission after seeing the pandemic taking the colours off the lives. And his mission is to send a message to the people, particularly to the youth, that all hope is not lost.
"We have to be safe and cautious, but there is no need to panic. Instead of remaining locked in our own little world and rooms, we have to step out to realise that bringing happiness and health to the world is in our hands," he said.
Starting his mission from Jammu and Kashmir, Hassan had covered 10 states including Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telengana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka before reaching Tamil Nadu.
Ask him, and he would say, of all the states, his favourite is Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, for the people are hospitable. Speaking to TNIE, he said that as a cyclist who has won 35 medals at the State and National levels, the first thing that came to his mind to spread a message is the 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari cycling expedition'.
Commencing his journey on January 1, it has taken 27 days for him to reach Kanniyakumari with a three-day break each in Delhi, Nagpur and Bangalore. "I was guided by my coach Feroz. He is helping me with people who can help at each place," he added.
Kathiresan, NCC officer at Tiruchuli Vaithiyalinga Nadar Higher Secondary School, has been acting as his coordinator in Tamil Nadu. "Hassan has been to Hosur, Salem, Madurai, Virudhunagar and will stop at Koilpatti before reaching Kanniyakumari," Kathir said.
Hassan has been meeting youth at Youth Clubs in the towns to encourage them to lead a healthy lifestyle. "We don't have to panic because of the virus, instead we can follow the precautionary measures and a healthy lifestyle to fight the battle," he said, adding that eating a healthy diet along with exercise and leading a stress-free life is the important thing now.
"Going by the proverbial cliché, 'Health is Wealth'. We have to stay happy to be healthy," Hassan added before resuming his journey towards Kanniyakumari.