– Syed Azharuddin
On a quiet October morning in Delhi, when most people begin their day scrolling through screens, Dr. Istikhar Ali adjusted his helmet, whispered a small prayer, and kick-started a motorcycle that would soon become a moving classroom, a counselling room, a travelling research lab – and sometimes, a silent companion.
His destination? Unknown.
His purpose? Crystal clear.
He wanted to take the conversation about mental health to places where such conversations were never held before.
This is the story of a young public-health scholar who turned India’s highways into corridors of compassion, its villages into forums of reflection, and its communities into partners in healing.
A Beginning Rooted in Delhi, Inspired by JNU
My first conversation with him began on a nostalgic note – about Delhi.
“I stayed four years in Delhi and visited JNU several times,” I told him.
He smiled and replied, “Strange… you came so close, but destiny didn’t let us meet. Maybe it waited for this moment.”
From there, he unfolded his journey – from his early education, his family’s values, to the rigorous intellectual environment of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), where his academic foundation in public health took shape. JNU not only gave him knowledge; it gave him a lens to look at human suffering not as isolated incidents, but as products of social, economic, and political realities. His research, activism, and writing reflect this lens deeply.
In his widely-read Scroll article, “Weary, Wary and Alone: From Delhi to Kerala, the Mental Distress Indians Struggle With” he documents the harsh truths he encountered during earlier travels: loneliness, anxiety, financial uncertainty, and the silent emotional burdens people carry across India.
In 26 days, he spoke to hundreds – students, farmers, teachers, journalists – each revealing how deeply mental suffering is woven into everyday life.
India, after all, is a country where, one in every seven Indians suffers from a mental health condition, over 200 million people face mental-health related distress, and close to 90% receive no treatment or support (NIMHANS & WHO reports).
Against this backdrop, one young man decided to ride, literally, into the heart of the problem.
The Ride Begins (Delhi to Kerala — 3,500 km of Listening, Healing, and Hope)
On 10 October 2025 – World Mental Health Day, Dr. Istikhar Ali began a 3,500 km solo motorcycle journey titled, “Ride for Mental Health: Beyond the Stigma.”
Supported by Snehi India and fuelled by nothing but conviction, he had no fixed plan – only a direction, and a determination to reach people who do not visit clinics, do not read scholarly journals, but silently battle overwhelming emotional storms.
His route spanned: Delhi → Jaipur → Ajmer → Beawar → Udaipur → Ahmedabad → Anand → Ankleshwar → Vapi → Mumbai → Ratnagiri → South Goa → Mangaluru → Kozhikode → Malappuram → Kannur
Every village, every town, every stop became a lesson in lived experience. Where formal institutions build walls, he created bridges – conducting, 10+ public sessions, 30+ group discussions, hundreds of one-to-one conversations, workshops in universities and NGOs, corner meetings in markets, talks in madrasas, community centres and mosques and media interviews across states.
What makes his journey unique is that it wasn’t a mental-health “campaign”. It was a human campaign. He listened more than he spoke. He observed before he intervened. He met people where they were, not where textbooks expect them to be. And sometimes, the roads listened to him too.
A Day with Him: My Encounter in South Goa
When I met him in South Goa, he had just completed a long stretch from Ratnagiri. Dusty, exhausted, carrying nothing but essentials on his bike, he still greeted me with an unmistakable warmth. We spent hours discussing his work, his fears, his determination.
At one point he said: “Azhar Bhai, I started this journey without any detailed plan. But at every turn, God opened a door. And today, He brought me to you before I move from Madgaon towards Udupi.”
His humility was striking. At a time when the world is becoming increasingly self-obsessed and digitally distracted, here was a man riding across states not for adventure but for others.
His mission is a reminder that:
- Mental health is not an individual struggle.
- It is shaped by society, economy, politics, faith, family, and culture.
- Healing requires communities, not just clinics.
If he can bring even 1% improvement in awareness among the millions struggling silently, it will be a monumental contribution. Great reformers and thinkers across history started with small circles that eventually created waves. His work stands in that lineage – contemporary, deeply relevant, and urgently needed.
Stories from the Road – Where Pain Meets Courage
Across his ride, he encountered:
- A college student in Udaipur hiding panic attacks from his family,
- A migrant worker in Ankleshwar battling depression after job loss,
- A young girl in Goa openly speaking about anxiety for the first time,
- A madrasa student in Malappuram sharing the emotional pressure of expectations, and
- A group of activists in Kerala discussing burnout and resilience.
Each conversation re-affirmed what he often says: “Mental health is not a private burden; it’s a public responsibility.”
Ending Where Faith and Learning Meet
Dr. Istikhar chose Wadihuda Institute of Research and Advanced Studies in Kannur as his final stop – not for symbolism, but for a deeper message. Malappuram is a place where faith meets social service, education meets responsibility, and spirituality meets community welfare. He believes mental-health awareness must be integrated with ta’leem (education), tarbiyya (character development) and dawah (community engagement).
His concluding session, “Mental Health Beyond Silence and Survival: Faith, Education and Community Resilience,” aims to bring together students, scholars, educators and community leaders to build a culture of emotional support and resilience.
A Scholar, A Listener, A Traveller – But Above All, A Servant of Humanity
Dr. Istikhar Ali is a rare combination:
- A public health scholar trained at JNU,
- A DAAD Fellow with international exposure,
- A grassroots listener who sits with people on sidewalks,
- A writer whose words reflect lived struggle, and
- A traveller who rides not for thrill but for purpose.
He is not simply creating awareness; he is creating a movement. In an era of self-promotion, he chooses selfless service. In a time of noise, he chooses conversations that matter. In a society crushed by unspoken mental suffering, he chooses courage – both his and others’. His journey teaches us that healing is not always found in hospitals. Sometimes, it begins on dusty roads, under bus shelters, in chai shops, in classrooms, in mosques, in marketplaces, and in the hearts of people who finally feel heard.
The Road Ahead
When he concluded his ride in Kerala, his mission didn’t end; it expanded. He plans to compile a publication and visual report from the stories collected, build alliances with educational institutions, create youth-led support networks, train community volunteers, continue travelling across new states and to develop research documenting the social roots of mental distress.
Every revolution starts with a single step. He started with a motorcycle engine roaring in Delhi. Dr. Istikhar Ali is not merely riding a bike across India. He is riding across stigma, across silence, across fear – to build a more compassionate society.
His journey is a reminder that the greatest service to God is service to His people, and that mental health is not a luxury; it’s an essential human right.
