Mangalorean Harekala Hajabba Chosen For The Prestigious Padma Shri Award 2020

Mangalorean Harekala Hajabba, the orange seller who saved money to build a school in his village, has been chosen for the Padma Shri Award 2020. He will receive the prestigious honour in New Delhi on November 8. Hajabba received a letter intimating that the certificate signed by the President will be presented to him in March, but the ceremony was delayed due to the pandemic. Hajabba, 65, an illiterate fruit vendor who is popularly known as Akshara Santa for building a school to educate children of his village in New Padpu, Harekala, located about 35 km from Mangalore city. Hajabba who could not studey as there was no school in his village, took it up as a challenge and started his journey towards building a school in Harekala began in 1995. His dream turned into reality when Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat sanctioned a school in 1999. Hajabba said he is in touch with the office of the Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to make necessary arrangements of his travel to New Delhi for the ceremony. The government will take care of all his expenses.