Junais Sathar, a native of Kanacheri in Kannur who undertook a 3,700 km solo journey from Kannur to Ladakh on his specially adapted vehicle.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
For Junais Sathar, a disability need not limit where life can take him. The 33-year-old from Kanacheri, Munderi, in Kannur recently completed a 3,700-km solo journey to Ladakh in a specially adapted vehicle, hoping his experience will encourage others who hesitate to travel.
Mr. Sathar had previously travelled to Mysuru, Bengaluru and other parts of Karnataka, but Ladakh was a different prospect. A plan to visit Kashmir eventually took him to Ladakh after 35 days on the road. Travelling mostly alone, he covered around 150 to 200 km a day and crossed 13 States.
“I never thought I would be able to travel such a long distance, but I just went,” he said.
He carried camping equipment in his vehicle so that he could stop when necessary. Petrol pumps often provided places to rest and attend to his basic needs. In Rajasthan, he encountered strong winds and dust storms; on the return journey, he drove through rain for two days.
Mr. Sathar said the people he met helped him keep going. Strangers offered assistance, and some became friends. As the owner of a small shop, he was also interested in the roadside businesses he saw along the way. “I could understand many things. I also got to meet people,” he said.
He had saved money from his shop for about five years to finance the trip, which cost around ₹1.5 lakh, including money he borrowed as loan. A few others offered help after learning of his first trip to Ladakh. He recalled receiving financial and moral support from the All Kerala Wheelchairs Federation, Angel’s team Pookad and Muhammad Shaheer from Mysuru.
Mr. Sathar had obtained the vehicle used for the journey about six months earlier with the support of Kannur MP K. Sudhakaran. Before that, he had used a vehicle provided through the panchayat.
His mother, sister and brother were initially apprehensive about the trip. “They were afraid, but they gave me the courage to go,” he said.
After watching videos of his journey, several people contacted him to ask how he had managed the long-distance trip and dealt with practical difficulties along the way. Some wondered whether their own physical limitations would make travel difficult.
Mr. Sathar’s answer is simple: limitations should not become a reason to stop living. “Disability is not a problem. If you want to do something, you can do it,” he said. “
Before this trip, he had travelled little beyond Karnataka and Wayanad. His journey to Ladakh gave him new experiences, friendships and confidence. Now, it is encouraging others to consider journeys of their own.
His trip has become a quiet challenge to those who postpone their own journeys because of fear, physical limitations or others’ perceptions. For Mr. Sathar, the road to Ladakh was more than a route across India: it took him beyond limits he had once imagined for himself.
Travelling largely on his own, he faced difficult weather, managed his expenses and camping arrangements, and found his way through unfamiliar places. He returned with new friends, new experiences and, perhaps most importantly, greater confidence.
“I never thought I could go this far, but I went,” he said. His journey is now encouraging others to ask how they, too, might begin.
From his small shop in Kannur to the high-altitude landscape of Ladakh, Mr. Sathar has shown how stepping out can change what a person believes is possible.
Published – September 26, 2026 07:00 am IST
