It was in March 1990 that Fr. Varghese Alengadan and I had met for the first time. Our common friend Sr. Reena Kuzhiveli arranged the meeting. I was deeply influenced by the courage and dynamism of the 38-year-old priest from the Sagar Diocese in Madhya Pradesh. We developed a deep emotional bond from that first meeting itself. 

I invited him for the National Inter-religious Seminar organised by us at Cochin from September 30 to October 2, 1990. As a follow up of this National Seminar, we launched a Shanti Mission under the banner of Dharma Rajya Vedi (DRV). 

Fr. Alengaden became a wholehearted supporter of DRV and Shanti Mission. He organised a two-month tour for our four-member inter-religious team in Madhya Pradesh. Except for a few minor hiccups, the tour was a great success. 

The money received by our team during the MP tour was deposited in a State Bank account at Bhopal with the late Fr. P J Joseph SVD serving as the account holder. This money was used later on to set up a Dharma Bharathi Institute of Peace & Value Education at Indore in July 1993. Fr. Varghese served as the first Director of this Institute till the end of 1998. 

Working together, we developed an inter-religious vision, mission and action plan for a great new India through the Dharma Bharathi Institute. In November 1998 we decided to part ways and venture out independently. The Dharma Bharathi Institute was shifted to Hyderabad.

Fr. Alengadan with few of his friends started the Universal Solidarity Movement which has become a national youth movement today. His dynamism and enlightened leadership have enabled the USM to reach out to a large number of students, priests, religious and lay leaders all over India. USM has become a great blessing for India and the Indian Church today.

I thank and praise God for the gift that Fr Alengaden was for me and for Dharma Bharathi Institute which now functions from Lucknow with Dr. Satyaprakash Bharat serving as its Director General. I have been focussing on developing DRV into a socio-spiritual organization for an Integral Renaissance of India based on an Indian Face of the Christian Faith.

I am ever grateful to my dear departed friend for his support and collaboration. May his soul rest in eternal peace in Christ our Lord.