Young Kiwi-Indian Motorbike Enthusiast Dies In Road Accident

A 26-year-old Kiwi-Indian motorbike enthusiast died on February 28 as he tried to overtake a tanker while riding his bike on way to Hamilton. 

Ananth Vikranth Sridharan arrived in New Zealand only about four years ago. His friends and acquaintances are now trying to raise funds to repatriate the young microbiologist to Chennai, where his parents live. 

Ananth, who worked as a microbiology technician at Asure Quality, hailed from Bellary in the southern Indian state of Karnataka.

On the fateful day, Ananth was returning from Te Kūiti to Hamilton on his motorbike, while his two friends were trailing him in a car. He attempted to overtake a tanker when he collided with a car just ahead. 

Despite the efforts of his friends to revive him through CPR, Ananth was pronounced dead on arrival at Waikato Hospital. His friends promptly informed his family in India about the heartbreaking loss of their son.

Ananth’s friends describe him as a high-spirited, charismatic, and humble young man with a deep thirst for learning. One of Ananth's significant achievements was his thesis, but above all, he was most proud of his insatiable thirst for knowledge. This sentiment was expressed in a statement on the donation page set up by Tamil Society Waikato, Hamilton, to assist with Ananth's repatriation.

With no immediate family in New Zealand, Vishnu, one of Ananth's friends, reached out to Srinivasan Jaganathan, President of the Tamil Society Waikato, Hamilton, who then set up an online donation portal to facilitate Ananth's repatriation.

"I am in touch with Ananth's mother, who is assisting us with Ananth's information and documents. The family is devastated, which is why it is crucial to expedite the process," says Srinivasan.

While the donation portal aimed to collect $15,000, the total collection stood at $17,397 as of March 1, with 264 donors contributing within the last 14 hours. Any excess funds raised will be sent to India to support Ananth's parents in covering the last rites. Click here to donate or visit tamilsocietywaikato.org.nz.