IDUKKI: To people who think old age is a time to rest and seek assistance from others, Sulaiha Beevi’s life proves age is never a barrier to working hard and living with dignity. Even at 90, Beevi continues to sell tapioca on the roadside at 35th Mile near Mundakkayam in Idukki. And she has been doing that for the past six decades. Though the income from the work is meagre, she has never let the basic needs of her family go unfulfilled.
Recognising the elderly woman’s enthusiasm, local people fondly call her ‘Kappayumma’, which roughly translates to ‘tapioca-mother’ in Malayalam. A resident of Keechampara, Beevi arrives in the town for her daily business at 10am after completing her household chores. She orders for tapioca from wholesalers who bring the produce in bulk quantities. “I buy at least 10kg of tapioca from the dealers for `300 every day. I get a profit of `10 per kg,” Beevi says.
She says it was profitable when she ventured forth at the age of 30.“Those days, the tapioca cultivated by settler farmers on the hill sides of Madukka, a village near Mundakkayam, used to be brought by headload workers to the town for `5 per kg.”Now, the demand for the tuber has reduced considerably as people are increasingly turning diabetic, she says.
So it takes up to three days for her to sell 10kg of tapioca. Nowadays, heavy rain has also turned her business dull. Despite odds, Beevi manages to contribute to the financial needs of her late son’s family, with whom she is staying. She helps her three daughters, too, in times of financial crises.“I started selling tapioca to keep the house running. When my husband died 35 years ago, I had to keep going to pay off the debts after my daughters’ marriage. I continue with it to help my children and to take care of myself, rather than seek alms.”
Except for a few months during the Covid peak, she has never taken a break from her tapioca business.
“Beevi is an iron lady and an inspiration to others. The hustle and bustle of the town wouldn’t be complete without Beevi, who can be seen selling tapioca sitting on a plastic chair at the heart of 35th Mile,” says her neighbour, Thampi, who is a headload worker in the town.