Harekala Hajabba, others receive Padma awards

Vishwaprasanna Theertha Swami of Pejawar Adhokshaja Mutt receives the Padma Bhushan award (Posthumous) on behalf of Vishwesha Theertha Swami. 

President Ram Nath Kovind presented the prestigious Padma Awards of the year 2020 to achievers of various fields at a colourful ceremony held at Rashtrapathi Bhavan here on Monday.

Harekala Hajabba of Dakshina Kannada district, an orange seller-social activist, who started a school from his meagre earning received the Padma Shri award from the president.

When Hajabba, clad in his trademark white dhoti and white shirt, walked barefoot to receive the award from the president, the schoolchildren at ‘Hajabba’ school in Newpadpu village, on the outskirts of Mangaluru city, clapped hands in delight watching the programme on an LED screen.

Thanking the president and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Hajabba said “My humble request to the state and the Centre is to help sanction a PUC College to Harekala. I am happy that a poor man like me has been honoured.”

“This award belongs to all those who helped in building the school. The government schools are, in no way, inferior to private schools,” he said calling upon students to study in government-run schools.

An elated Hajabba said, “The prime minister shook my hand.”

Vishwesha Theertha Swami of Pejawar Adhokshaja Mutt was felicitated with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. His successor Vishwaprasanna Theertha received the award.

Thulasi Gowda of Halakki community (Uttara Kannada) who planted over one lakh samplings, transport giant Vijay Sankeshwara, Nimhans former director Dr B N Gangadhar, late K V Sampath Kumar and K S Jayalakshmi, editors of Sanskrit newspaper Sudharma of Mysuru received the Padmashree award.

Padma Vibhushan was posthumously conferred on former Union ministers George Fernandes, Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj.

Olympian P V Sindhu also received the Padma Bhushan. Hindi actor Kangana Ranaut was among the Padma Shri awardees.

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