United States President Barack Obama, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh find themselves in the unusual company of the world’s most wanted terrorist Osama Bin Laden and fugitive Dawood Ibrahim.
These men are in the list of the World’s Most Powerful people compiled by the Forbes magazine.
Mr. Obama was named most powerful person, while Chinese President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin are the next most powerful people.
The list features three resident Indians — Dr. Singh and industrialists Mukesh Ambani and Ratan Tata, and two non-residents Indians — fugitive Dawood and Steel baron Lakshmi Mittal, who lives in London.
Dr. Singh has been ranked 36th, while Reliance Industries’ chief Mr. Ambani finds himself ranked 44th, ahead of Tata Group chief Mr. Tata at 59th.
Close behind Dr. Singh and at the 37th place is Al-Qaeda founder Bin Laden, while underworld don Dawood is at 50th spot.
Dawood is wanted in connection with the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai and has been listed by the U.S. as ‘Specially Designated Global Terrorist’ for funding Al-Qaeda.
Bin Laden, the 9/11 terror strike mastermind, too has been eluding the U.S.-led multi-national armed forces. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama is ranked 39th, while Pope Benedict-XVI, 11th.
The magazine took into consideration the influence of the person, whether they controlled relatively large financial resources compared to their peers, and whether they were powerful in multiple spheres.
