Mangaluru, Jan 25: Orange vendor Harekala Hajabba, popularly known as 'Akshara Santha' (the saint of alphabets), who went on to build a school at Newpadpu village on the city’s outskirts in 1999 is among this year’s Padma Shri awardees.
When Hajabba received the call on being nominated for the award, he was standing in a queue to buy rations.
As he is not fluent in Hindi, Hajabba handed over the phone to an auto driver, who conveyed the news that the Padma Shri award will be conferred on him.
The unlettered achiever set up a primary school from his meagre savings of Rs 150 per day, selling oranges in Mangaluru.
“The first time I felt bad for being an illiterate was when a foreigner enquired about the price of oranges in English. I did not know what he meant. So, I decided to start a school in my village,” Hajabba had said during a felicitation programme.
When Hajabba decided to start a school, he did not get any support. He started the school with 28 children.
The school today has been upgraded to a composite high school and is catering to the educational needs of hundreds of children in and around Newpadpu.
He ran from pillar to post in the Zilla Panchayat to make his dream come true. All cash awards he had received went into building the school. The United Christians Association, moved by the sight of his dilapidated house, built a 760-square-foot house costing Rs 15 lakh for him.
Hajabba’s life was prescribed for the syllabus of three universities - Davangere, Kuvempu and Mangalore. His success story is also included in a Tulu textbook.
He won the Karnataka Rajyotsava award in 2013, Real Heroes award from TV channel CNN-IBN.
Hajabba, when contacted, said he could not believe his ears when told about the award.
New dreams
The frail vendor, in his 60s, humbly declared that he could achieve all this because of the support of all. Hajabba now dreams of upgrading the school into a full-fledged PU college.
Comments
If india gives him same punishment then assume that india is developed, in india criminals are given more respect than the victims.
Insane person. why dont you give him similar punishment....
Leave Bihar Campaign :)
Is controlling criminals important or fighting against Modi important? Nitish and KC Tyagi, please tell us
Shameless act from a political goonda. BTW had it been a BJP politician's son, CD would have had BJP in the headline. No I am not condoning the act if it was a BJP politician's son involved, I am just talking about how biased this channel is.
if the leader in the SUV was a BJP leader, your headline would have screamed the word BJP. Bajrangi RSS etc!
That politician's son is going to be get caught and will soon be released without facing any punishment.
that's how it happens in India!!!
in case of BJP politician, headline would have been ' BJP politician shoots 19 year old boy'. Since crime is committed by a non BJP politician, it only says politician in hearing.
This how the journalists manipulate the news.
Biharis Deserves... who voted corrupt Goonda Rajya
CM Nithish Kumar is in Kerala, he want the Kerala to be made same like Bihar.
Nitish Kumar is busy trying to cobble up a coalition in his desperate attempt to become the PM of this country. Meanwhile, the state is ruled by Lalu and his sons. So the jungle raj continues in Bihar.
its time to make bihar, up, wb ,delhi and kerala as independent nations. kick all these aholes from rest of india, let them solve their civility issue themselves.
gutter people
THERE IS TOTAL JUNGLE RAJ PREVAILING IN BIHAR SINCE LAST 25 YEARS DURING RJD- JD(U) MISRULE. NITISH KUMAR IS RUNNING GOVT WITH HELP OF CORRUPT MEDIAS WHO ARE GETTING HUGE MONEY I.E. HUNDREDS OF CRORES PER ANNUM FROM JD(U) GOVT FOR FLASHING ROSY PICTURE OF CORRUPT AND WORST NITISH GOVT. LALOO HAS RETURNED REIGN OF TERROR IN STATE WHERE HIS COMMUNITY IS INDULGED IN MASS ANTI-NATIONAL ACTIVITIES LIKE NAXALISM, MURDERS, DACOITIES, KIDNAPPING ETC. THIS IS BEYOND CAPACITY OF CM TO CONTROL IT. SO PEOPLE OF BIHAR IS BOUND TO SUFFER FOR ELECTING CORRUPT AND WORST PERFORMING GOVT WHEN THERE WILL BE NO PEACE AND PROSPERITY.
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