A priest’s journey for a peaceful, green world

Father Prashanth Palakkappilly to travel across country on his favourite motorbike

To call Father Prashanth Palakkappilly a friend of nature is an understatement. Throughout his career as principal of Sacred Heart College, Thevara, since 2010, he has been known to use a bicycle to travel short distances, trying to inculcate a sense of ecological responsibility among his students and the general public. In fact, he has been known as the “padiri” (local expression for a priest) who rides his bicycle among people in Thevara. He has also been part of green activities, promoting organic agriculture, gardening and creating concern for nature in young generation. Fr. Prashanth, 56, retired from his academic career earlier this year. He is a Catholic priest under the order of Carmelites of Mary Immaculate (CMI) and will now undertake a tour of India on his favourite motorbike. He said he was not using a car since it consumed too much fuel. “Using a motorbike is better, because it was lighter on the environment,” he said on Monday as he prepared to set out on the Trust-Green-Peace journey from Tuesday.