“Akshara Santha” Hajabba's saga now a textbook lesson at two universities

February 6, 2012

hajabba
Mangalore, February 6: Harekala Hajabba, the unlettered educationist who built a primary and secondary school in Newpadpu village near Konaje, has created history yet again by entering into the textbooks of Shimoga and Davangere Universities.

The 50-year-old man's unusual saga of struggle and success has been included in the Kannada textbook for the fourth semester students of the Davanagere University under the title “Sahitya Spandana, Bhaga 2'.

The life and achievements of Mr. Hajabba, who has already won a number of accolades including the Kannada Prabaha Person of the Year award (2004) and CNN-IBN Real Heroes Award (2009), has been chronicled by Ismath Pajeer in a book published recently by Kanthavara Kannada Sangha.

An orange vendor by profession, Hajabba took the unusual plunge about a decade ago after seeing the dismal situation of the Muslim community in terms of education. His journey started after he convinced the villagers to start a primary school at the local Madrasa.

Hajabba has used his hard-earned money to build the school, literally brick by brick. Despite leading a life of penury, he has donated all his prize money, including the five lakh rupees he got from the CNN-IBN, towards realizing his dream.

1_2

Interestingly, Hajabba's story has been included in the Kannada text book for commerce undergraduates instead of arts students. The Shimoga and Davangere Universities comprise a geographical area that includes CHikmagalur and Chitradurga districts, besides Shimoga and Davangere.

The number of students pursuing gradation in commerce in the colleges under the two universities is much more compared to arts and science students. “We just don't want these students to become number crunchers. We want them to develop pro-society attitude than just keep their studies to calculating profit and losses,” said a source in the Shimoga University.

Besides Hajabba, the Kannada text book also includes brief biographical accounts of Cherkadi Ramachandra Rao, the organic farmer, writer Anupama Niranjan, forlk artiste Sukri Bommanagowda and Salu Marada Thimmakka.

'Sahitya Spandana Bhaga 2'will remain as the textbook until 2016 in the two universities. The book has 132 pages and around five to six pages have been devoted to each personality. Na. Karantha Peraje, editor of 'Adake Patrike' has authored the lesson on Hajabba.

Despite hitting headlines every now and then, Hajabba remains his usual humble self. “He (Mr. Peraje) had come to this poor man's house (badavana mane), but I did not know what he wanted to do by collecting details about me. Now I am getting calls from people from across the State congratulating me on being a textbook topic. Even H.R. Venkatesh from CNN-IBN had called me to say welldone. But, I have not read the reports yet,” said Hajabba over the phone.

Unfortunately, Hajabba who lives just few miles from the Mangala Gangotrhi is yet to get any recognition from the Mangalore University. But, the noble soul is not worried about such things and continues to think about building a pre university college. “I had been to Bangalore recently, where I was felicitated by Chief Minister Sadananda Gowda at a function organized by Tulu Koota. I have raised the issue of building the PU College before him,” Mr Hajabba said.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 13,2025

Udupi: A resident of Karkala in Udupi district has accused five individuals of defrauding him of nearly Rs 2 crore under the guise of business partnerships.

Dawood Hakim, a resident of Ennehole in Marne village, Karkala, has filed a complaint stating that he operated a mobile sales and service business on Karkala Market Road for 15 years. He had known the accused for over two decades and trusted them implicitly.

According to Dawood, the accused convinced him to invest in multiple business ventures, including land dealings and a travel business, promising substantial returns and partnership benefits. Believing their assurances, Dawood reportedly handed over cash, gold, and a vehicle.

However, the promised profits never materialized, and the accused allegedly failed to return the money or assets. Dawood claims this deception has caused severe financial distress to him and his family, amounting to a loss of around Rs 2 crore.

A case has been registered at the CEN police station, and investigations are underway.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 22,2025

yellapuraccident.jpg

Yellapura: A devastating accident occurred early Wednesday morning in the Uttara Kannada district of Karnataka, leaving at least 10 people dead and several others critically injured. The tragedy unfolded near the Kageri petrol station in Yellapur when a truck carrying fruits and vegetables plunged into a valley and overturned.

The truck, which was transporting over 40 traders, was en route from Savanuru in Haveri district to Kumta market in Uttara Kannada. Among the passengers were fruit vendors heading to the Yellapura fair to sell their produce. The accident occurred on the Savanur-Hubballi road, as confirmed by M. Narayana, the Superintendent of Police of Uttara Kannada.

“At approximately 5:30 a.m., the truck driver attempted to give way to another vehicle and veered too far to the left, causing the truck to fall into a valley approximately 50 meters deep,” said SP Narayana.

Victims have been identified as:

Fayaz Imam Saab Jamkhandi (45)

Wasim Virullah Mudageri (35)

Ijaz Mustak Mulla (20)

Sadiq Bhasha Farash (30)

Ghulam Hussain Jawali (40)

Imtiaz Mamajafar Mulakeri (36)

Alfaaz Jafar Mandakki (25)

Jilani Abdul Jakhati (25)

Aslam Babuli Benny (24)

Immediate Response

Upon receiving information about the accident, police rushed to the scene and coordinated the rescue operations. The injured were swiftly transported to KIMS Hospital in Hubballi for treatment. Tragically, eight individuals died on the spot, while another succumbed to critical injuries shortly after. The absence of a protective wall on the road in the valley has been highlighted as a contributing factor.

“Many passengers sustained serious injuries, and the death toll could rise,” said police officials. Investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Community in Mourning

This tragic incident has left the local community in shock, as families and friends mourn the loss of lives. Authorities are urging caution and have reiterated the need for safety measures on roads in vulnerable areas. Further updates on the condition of the injured are awaited.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
January 18,2025

Sullia, Jan 18: In a shocking incident, a man shot his wife dead during a fit of rage over a minor argument and later took his own life by consuming poison. The heartbreaking event unfolded late Friday night in Kodimajalu in Sullia taluk of Dakshina Kannada.

The accused, identified as Ramachandra Gowda alias Chandra (53), used his licensed firearm to commit the crime. His wife, Vinoda (43), tragically lost her life in the incident.

On the fateful night, Ramachandra reportedly started an argument with his family after dinner over a trivial matter. The heated exchange escalated, and in a fit of uncontrollable anger, he allegedly aimed his firearm at his elder son, Prashanth. Vinoda intervened to prevent the attack, attempting to wrest the gun from Ramachandra.

However, enraged by her intervention, Ramachandra turned the gun on Vinoda and shot her, leaving her dead on the spot. Overwhelmed by the gravity of his actions, he consumed acid, commonly used for rubber processing, to end his own life.

Based on Prashanth’s statement, a case has been registered at the Sullia police station. The tragic sequence of events has left the village in shock and mourning, raising concerns about the unchecked escalation of domestic disputes.

This devastating incident underscores the importance of addressing domestic tensions before they spiral into irreversible tragedies.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.