Harekala Hajabba is only a humble fruit vendor but with generous heart who revolutionised rural education in the Southern Indian State of Karnataka, 4waAnd now the country has honoured him for his magnanimity with Padma Shri 2020.
The man of simplicity is said to have known about the Padma Shri Award only when he was in line for buying his ration. This was tweeted by IFS officer Parveen Kaswan. And the Tweet said that this fruit seller has been educating poor children in Newpadapu village in Dakshina Kannada. The tweet further said that he had been doing this by spending his own savings.
With respect to Harekala Hajabba’s story of getting into education, he was quoted as saying that he had got the idea after he felt “handicapped” while speaking to some foreign tourists. He had said much earlier that he felt so as he was not able to understand when a foreigner asked him about the price of the fruit. It was at this time that he felt the idea of starting a school a primary school for the children in his village so that they do not have his fate in future.
It was in 2000 that Hajabba opened his first school with his earnings. Today the school has grown with the help of the government as well contributions from individuals. The villagers are thankful to Hajabba rrand always remember the struggle that he undertook for the school. After 12 years, the school has now been converted into a high school.
