Orange Vendor Harekala Hajabba Conferred with the Padma Shri Award

An orange vendor from Mangalore, Karnataka has received the prestigious Padma Shri Award, India’s second-highest civilian award on Monday from President Ram Nath Kovind. 

66-year-old Harekala Hajabba is illiterate and has never been to a school. He sells oranges in Mangaluru bus depot for a living. 

He received the award for his impressive initiative and contribution to the field of education in his native village Harekala-Newpadpu. 

When a foreigner once asked Mr Hajabba the price of an orange and he couldn’t communicate back, he decided to bring a change in the field of education in 1978.

“As I could not communicate with the foreigner, I felt bad and decided to build a school in the village,” the Padma Awardee told ANI.

“I only know Kannada, not English or Hindi. So I was depressed as I could not help the foreigner. I wondered about constructing a school in my village,” he added.

After gaining recognition for his philanthropic work despite his own difficult circumstances, Mr Hajabba approached former MLA Late U T Fareed who sanctioned the construction of the school in the year 2000. 

The school that began with 28 students now has 175 underprivileged students till class 10. It is known as the ‘Hajabba school.’ 

Due to his philanthropic work, he’s fondly known as 'Akshara Santa' (letter-saint).

Mr Hajabba’s next target is to build more schools and colleges in the village from the donations he received and the prize money he accumulated over the years. 

“I have requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to construct a pre-university college (for Class 11 and 12 students) in my village,” he added.

Harekala Hajabba has already become a popular public figure locally and his life story has become part of the undergraduate program at the Mangalore University. 

Social activist and writer Ismath Pajeer has published a book on Hajabba's life, titled Harekala Hajabbara Jeevana Charitre (Life story of Harekala Hajabba).

The BBC published an article on Hajabba with the title “Unlettered fruit-seller's Indian education dream”  in November 2012.