Meet The Fruit Seller From Karnataka Who Won Padma Shri For Providing Education To Children

The Government of India recently announced the list of Padma Shri awardees. Harekala Hajabba, an orange seller from Karnataka has made it to the list for providing education to children of his village. The news was confirmed by IFS officer, Praveen Kaswan, who stated that the fruit seller has been educating kids from a decade and was standing in a line at a ration shop when he came to know that he has been honoured with the Padma Shri.

Parveen Kaswan tweeted, "Harekala Hajabba was in a line at a ration shop when authorities informed him that he got Padma Shri. This fruit seller from Dakshin Kannada is educating poor children in his village of Newpadapu from a decade in a mosque. Doing all the efforts including spending his savings."

Check out the tweet:

Harekala Hajabba was in a line on a ration shop when authorities informed him that he got #Padma Shri. This fruit seller from Dakshin Kannada is educating poor children in his village of Newpadapu from a decade in a mosque. Doing all the efforts including spending his savings. pic.twitter.com/rufL3RZ15o

— Parveen Kaswan, IFS (@ParveenKaswan) 26 January 2020

As per reports, Hajabba once failed to communicate with foreigners that made him realise the importance of education and communication. While speaking to the publication, he said, "The first time I felt handicapped because of my lack of education was when a foreigner asked me the price of the fruits in English. I didn't not know what he meant. An idea struck me to start a primary school so that the young children of my village would not go through a similar situation."

There was no school in his village. Hajabba spent his savings and also got help from locals in setting up a school. On being asked about the Padma Shri win, he told News Minute, “They spoke in Hindi, I could not understand, but later someone from the DK DC’s (Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner) office told me that I was selected for Padma Shri award. I could not believe it or dream of it, but I was happy."

Well, some superheroes don't wear caps and Harekala Hajabba is one among them.