Chundel: Sreepuram native Ruqiya (66), Kerala’s first female butcher has passed away. She had been a butcher at the Chundel fish and meat market for at least 33 years. The Kerala Institute of Labour and Employment had felicitated Ruqiya on International Women’s Day in 2022 for excelling in a challenging field of work. She is the daughter of Ottayil Khader and Pathumma. Ruqiya took up the responsibility of her family after her father died when she was just 10 years old. Her first job was at an estate in Chundel.

She started butchering meat at Chundel market when she couldn’t make ends meet with the salary from the estate. Ruqiya was just 23 years old when she opened the OK Beef Stall in Chundel in 1982. Her family and relatives opposed the move as they were against a young woman selling meat in the market.

However, Ruqiya didn’t pay heed to criticisms and went ahead with her beef stall. She purchased four acres of coffee estate near Chundel town using her income from the business. She had built a house there and even oversaw the wedding functions of her six sisters. Ruqiya, however, remained a spinster. In 2012, she left butchering and focussed on real estate. She is survived by her adopted son Manu Anas.

Ruqiya, who overcame the difficulties in life with sheer hard work and perseverance, had been featured in many international media.