Former KT staffer passes away in Dubai
dubai — Former Khaleej Times staffer Rukhia Begum, one of the old timers, passed away in Dubai on Monday.
Rukhia joined KT as a keyboard operator in 1985 and retired as an editorial assistant in 2006. Rukhia was part of the small typesetting team, before Khaleej Times became fully computerised in the 90s. After the typesetting operation was closed down, she was moved to editorial to assist in the daily operations of Young Times.
Even as she battled serious health issues recently, Rukhia was an avid reader of newspapers and kept in touch with her old friends at Khaleej Times. Just this Sunday, she had called one of her friends in KT and promised to come home for a chat, a promise she could not keep as she was taken to hospital after her situation worsened.
Long-time KT staffers remember Rukhia as a wellmannered, cheerful and friendly person who gave respect and took respect. “When I joined the newsdesk, we used to edit on hard copies. Whenever she found mistakes in my copies while typesetting, she never made a fuss about it. She would point them out so that I could learn,” one senior journalist recalled.
“Rukhia was very hardworking. She behaved like an elderly person who gave life lessons to her colleagues. As she was a great cook of Hyderabadi food, colleagues loved to visit her,” another colleague said.
“Soft-spoken with a constant smile on her face, Rukhia was there for everyone. Young Timers of those days should remember Rukhia, as she was the one who keyed in those numerous letters, poems and stories that came by mail, at a time when e-mails were still new. Her resilience is a lesson for each of us. She will be missed,” said former Young Times editor Roopa Kurian.
reporters@khaleejtimes.com