Harekala Hajabba, the orange seller who set up school for underprivileged, chosen for Padma Shri 2020

News Network
January 25, 2020

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

Meethal Kasaragod
 - 
Sunday, 26 Jan 2020

A big Salute to him!

Great effort,

fairman
 - 
Sunday, 26 Jan 2020

Where there is will, there is way

May God help him.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 25,2020

Mangaluru, May 25: Four domestic flights that were scheduled to operate from Mangaluru International Airport today have been cancelled. 

A total of six flights were scheduled to depart Mangaluru Airport today. 

Among them, two flights to Mumbai, one to Chennai and one to Bengaluru were cancelled due to lack of passengers and other reasons, sources said.

The remaining two flights – both to Bengaluru – are expected to take off with limited passengers later in the day.  

Domestic flight operations resumed in the country today after a gap of two months. All flight operations had ceased when the nationwide lockdown was imposed in March.

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News Network
January 11,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 11: A large number of people from the Women India Movement on Saturday staged a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) here and raised slogans denouncing the newly enacted law.

Protestors were seen carrying placards that read, 'Stop diving India, Boycott CAA, NRC, NPR', 'We are humans, not criminals', 'Save India from fascism'.

"Today's youths are tomorrow's future. The present leaders are scared by the youths and are trying to wipe us out. They are scared of the students because they are raising their voices," a protestor told media.

"It started with the triple talaq, then the removal of Article 370 and Babri Masjid verdict. We Muslims kept quiet but now it is a question to our Constitution. We are not here as Muslims but as an Indian Citizen protesting against the cruelty of the BJP government," she added.

The protestor said the Central government is trying to make India a Hindu Rashtra by wiping out all other communities.

"This fascist government is trying to poison the minds of Hindus against the Muslims. After Muslims, there will be the Christian community and then other communities. The main motive of the government is to only keep Brahmins in India," added the protestor.

The newly-enacted law grants citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Parsi, Buddhist, and Christian refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh, who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 15,2020

Mangaluru, July 15: Moulana Iqbal Mulla Nadvi, an acclaimed Islamic scholar and Qadhi (Khazi) of Bhatkal, passed away at a private hospital in Mangaluru. 

The elderly scholar was critically for past few weeks. 

He had served as the president of Jamia Islamia Bhatkal for several years.

He was known among Islamic scholars of Karnataka for his boldness, sincerity and wisdom.

Last rites are expected to be held in Bhatkal.

More details are awatied. 

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