Sopore, May 05: In Sopore, like the rest of Kashmir, the script for young men is often written in despair. A government job remains a distant dream. The waiting lists are long. The vacancies are few. And in that vacuum, darker paths beckon — drugs, wrong practices, a slow surrender to hopelessness.
Headlines tell the story every day. Substance abuse. Youth delinquency. A generation losing its way.Then there is Manan Hassan Wani.The 29-year-old professional cyclist from Sopore has no government job. He runs a car washing business. He employs three people. And he has pedalled 4,000 km from Kashmir to Kanyakumari — across the length of India.
He has 60 trophies. He has 36 medals. Over 100 certificates.
Speaking to Kashmir Convener Manan said, “Whenever I discussed my plans with someone, they would laugh and say this cannot happen,”. “Someone asked me, ‘What happened to you? The people who do this are on a whole different level.’ That demotivated me. Instead of motivating, it pushed me down.”
First, Sopore to Leh-Ladakh. Then all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir — 1,700 km. Then the big one Kashmir to Kanyakumari, 4,000 km across the country.
“Only then did I get a little recognition — that yes, there is indeed a person who is doing cycling and doing it well,” he says.
Today, he does not sit idle waiting for a government call letter. He does not fall into the trap of substances or shortcuts. He wakes up, trains on his bicycle, then goes to his car washing business. And he keeps the bicycle in front of him while he works.
“Looking at it motivates me,” he says. “I have a goal if I work, only then will I ride. When I ride, only then will I make records. That keeps me going all day long.”
He admits the business is not always easy. “Sometimes things don’t go in our favour. But what we need is to stay consistent. To stay focused. So that along with the negative, the positive also comes.”
For thousands of young Kashmiris trapped between the dream of a government job and the reality of none, Manan Hassan offers a different script. No waiting. No resignation. Just a bicycle, a car wash, and the will to pedal.
“The biggest positivity in my life is that I am doing training and I am running a business from here as well,” he says. “Alhamdulillah, I have three employees, and they are doing well too.”
He does not wear his cycling uniform for approval anymore. He wears it because it is aerodynamic. Because it helps with cooling. Because he has a ride to complete.
While headlines scream of drugs and despair, Manan Hassan quietly scrubs cars, pedals miles, and sets an example — one that does not need a government stamp.
He said there is no shortcut or logic in reaching the goal, especially in Kashmir, where situations and opportunities are quite different and even difficult. However, passion and dedication can help one reach the goal and survive.
He said, “How long will we wait for government opportunities? It’s time to do things ourselves for survival, no matter what job or business you run.
He said there is no shortcut or simple logic to achieving a goal, especially in Kashmir where ground situations and available opportunities are vastly different and often difficult, a person said. However, passion and dedication, he added, can help an individual reach the goal and survive.
“How long will we wait for government opportunities? It is time to fend for ourselves for survival, irrespective of the job or business we run,” he said.
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