New Delhi: ‘Akshara Santa’ Harekala Hajabba, an illiterate Mangalorean man who built a school in his village received the ‘Padma Shri’ civilian honour from the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind on Monday, November 8.
The awards ceremony was held at the Darbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Hajabba along with his nephew went to Delhi and their trip was facilitated through the arrangements made by Dakshina Kannada district administration and Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel.
The Padma award is India’s second-highest civilian honour and Hajabba was chosen for the honour in light of the contributions he made to the education sector.
Harekala Hajabba, who hails from Newpadupu village in Dakshina Kannada District set up school for children of his village through meagre earnings from selling oranges in Mangalore. He initially set up ‘Hajabba School’ in a community mosque and later turned into Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School with the help of locals and the government.
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