Mangaluru: Harekala Hajabba, an orange vendor from Mangaluru, received Padma Shri Award, India’s second-highest civilian award, from the President of India, arrived to Mangaluru International Airport on Tuesday, November 9.
Harekala Hajabba was welcomed by Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner DV Rajendra.
The 66-year-old orange vendor received this award for bringing a revolution in rural education by constructing a school in Harekala-Newpadpu village in Mangaluru. The school, currently, has 175 underprivileged students from the village.
Hajabba, who sells oranges at Mangaluru bus depot since 1977, is illiterate and has never been to school.
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The desire to bring revolution in education in his village came to his mind in 1978 when a foreigner asked him the cost of orange.
