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Indian
steel magnate becomes richest Asian in Britain
By Trevor Barnard
London:
Rajasthan-born Lakshmi Mittal, who heads the LNM steel
empire, has become the richest Asian in Britain. In the
latest Rich List published by the Sunday Times he is said
to be worth 3.5 billion pounds, outstripping the 2.1 billions
of the former list leaders, Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja.
Although the Hinduja brothers' oil, banking and telephone
interests grew by about 17 per cent during 2003, Mittal's
steel holdings more than doubled. Over recent years his
expansion has been attributed to surging demand for steel
products in China and the acquisition of under-performing
mills in Eastern Europe.
Aged
53, Mittal moved from his native village in Western Rajastan
to Kolkata to work in his father's steel business. The administrative
headquarters of the business that has developed from those
beginnings is in London and Lakshmi lives with his family
in a luxury home in North London, where he is known for
hosting lavish parties, though he avoids publicity. The
manufacturing network spans 12 countries and is claimed
to be the largest but one in the world.
Third
in the Asian Rich List is Mike Jatania, who, together with
his three brothers, runs a healthcare and cosmetics group
called Lornamead. Their wealth is estimated to have risen
from 570 million to 650 million pounds since a year ago.
Heading downwards in the list is the Patak family, whose
curry product business was said to have been worth 45 million
pounds two years ago. Currently, however, the family is
locked in a High Court action over ownership of the business.
Compiler of the Rich List, Philip Beresford, commented that
Mittal represents the tip of a rapidly growing pyramid of
Asian millionaires flourishing all over Britain. He told
the Sunday Times: "We are aproaching a stage where proportionately
the name Patel is likely to mean you have a better chance
of becoming a millionaire than anyone else."
A
village in UP forbids unmarried women from voting (Go
To Top)
Jarua
Katura: A remote village in Uttar Pradesh forbids unmarried
women from casting their votes. More than 600 women in Jarua
Katra village, 250 km from Lucknow, eligible for vote do
not have their names registered in the electoral list. Women
say their parents do not allow them to vote as polling booths
are far off from their village. "As we have to go far off
to cast the votes, we are not allowed. There are about 500-600
girls who do not exercise their franchise here. We want
to vote but are helpless," said Madhu, a resident. India
goes to polls in five phases in April-May.
Twenty
one-year-old Mamata, a graduate in History from Lucknow
University, says she is keen to exercise her franchise.
"When we see married women go and cast their votes then
we also feel like voting. But we are restricted from going
by our parents. If I am allowed to exercise my franchise
then I would want a government which will work for the development
of our country and particularly tour the village," said
Mamata. But strangely, none of the girls is willing to revolt
against the diktat, issued by village head committee. Ironically,
the state is home to India's first woman Prime Minister
Indira Gandhi.
According
to the Indian Constitution, boys and girls, more than 18
years of age are eligible to cast their votes in the polls.
Village authorities say they feel insecure about women standing
in queues for long time. "First of all, their names are
not in the voters' list and we do not try to get their names
also because they are unmarried and we do not want them
to go far off. We feel reluctant. Then they cannot stand
in queues for long, and we feel insecure," said Rajbir Singh,
the village head. State authorities say it's an individual's
right to vote and so no action can be taken against the
villagers.
