Indian businessman honoured in Bristol

Thursday, 18 March 2004, 20:30 IST
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BRISTOL: The life of a successful Indian businessman in Bristol was celebrated by the unveiling of a commemorative plaque to honour his memory. The plaque was unveiled by the Lord Mayor at the Bristol Sweet Mart, founded by Kassam Ismail Majothi, who was born in 1924 in Hazamchora village in northwest India. He came to England from Uganda with his family in 1972 and started a small shop in Easton, Bristol. Twenty-five years on, the Bristol Sweet Mart is a successful business, selling ethnic foods and spices, with an international reputation. Abdul Ismail, aged 50, who co-owns the business with the rest of his family, said its success was due to the hard work and sheer determination on his father's part to keep his family going. He said: "Leaving Uganda was hard for my father because he was an influential man in the country and he came to Bristol penniless. "When we arrived in England he had nothing that showed what he once was. "He knew he had to do something to keep himself and his family going and he started the shop." Ismail added: "But I think the fact that we were all looked after so nicely when we first arrived really helped us to settle in. "The country has been very good to us and we have also been able to make our own contribution."
Source: IANS