Indore | Fr Varghese Alengaden, founder of Universal Solidarity Movement to transform the country through Gandhian principles and advocate of building a civilisation of love, breathed his last on Sunday at 9 am. He was 71 and the end was in the presence of the USM community and family members at St Robert’s Nursing Home where he had been admitted for post-heart surgery care.
The funeral will take place at 2 pm on on Tuesday at St Francis Assisi Cathedral Church here where he had founded the solidarity movement three decades ago.
Fr Alengaden, who had long years of experience of working with the youth, visualised a country that could be rebuilt by the young and advocated training "the youth to take charge of the nation with an inclusive, broad and lasting vision".
He launched the USM in response to the huge challenges the country faced because of communal politics, religious fundamentalism, ethnic conflicts, discrimination and rampant corruption.
He wanted to create a new nation of love with people of all castes, creed and culture and suggested adopting the Gandhian principle of self-transformation, “You be the change”.
In his autobiography “Ho Jayega” (It will be done), Fr Alengaden envisaged that by 2040 the country would have 500 MPs and 3,000 MLAs who would live by the USM way of ethical life. Besides, he dreamt of 600 such people in the country's civil service.
Fr Alengaden was born on December 30, 1952, to Ouseph and Annam at Kallur in Thrissur district of Kerala. He has two brothers and a sister. He completed his school education between 1952-1970 in Kallur, then took up priestly studies and was ordained by 1981. From 1981 to 1993 he was a priest in Sagar Diocese in the State.
In the year 1993, he got inspiration to start a new mission, and thus was born USM. He was a prolific writer and authored 30 books and was a motivational speaker. His main books are “Ho Jayega”, “Struggle, Smile, Stay”, “Educare”, “The Key”, “But God is There”. He had conducted about 300 seminars for school teachers in 300 schools, addressed over 2 lakh parents in 235 schools and thousands of students in about 400 schools during the last 30 years.
He was chairman of the Committee for Peace and Conflict Resolution of Rotary International District 3040 and past president of Indian Society of Authors, Indore Chapter.
