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How Zohran Mamdani sees India beyond ‘Dhoom Machale’: Flaunts desi heritage, with a ‘vision’ caveat on PM Modi
Newly elected NYC mayor's relationship with his Indian heritage isn't as straightforward as just playing songs at victory rally
The stunning election of Zohran Mamdani as the next mayor of New York City is being seen as a progressive blip in the deeply polarised American politics in Donald Trump's era. But Mamdani, being of mixed heritage, is defined by many things at once — one of those being his Indian lineage.
Yet, his relationship with his desi heritage isn't as straightforward as just playing “Dhoom Machale” at his victory rally. In his address, he also quoted from the seminal 1947 speech by India's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru, whom the current PM, Narendra Modi, holds responsible for many of India's problems.
Mamdani's views on Modi and his party BJP are far from complimentary. And the feeling is mutual.
The 34-year-old is the first Muslim and first Indian-origin leader of America’s largest city. His mother, high-profile filmmaker Mira Nair known for works like ‘Monsoon Wedding’, 'Mississippi Masala' and ‘The Namesake’, shares his views on Modi, whom they accuse of being “anti-Muslim”.
What Mamdani said on Modi, how BJP retorted
He has faced some anger over his criticism of PM Modi. He clubs the self-described "Hindu nationalist" with America's Trump and Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu as leaders whose politics he deeply disagrees with.
On Modi specifically, he has attributed his views to a different “vision” of India.
He has said he “grew up with the vision of an India that was pluralistic, an India where everyone belonged, no matter their religion”. In contrast, he has alleged, PM Modi and his party BJP's Hindutva-centric vision “only has room for certain kinds of Indians”.
He has called Modi "fascist", a term his mother, Indian Punjabi filmmaker Mira Nair, has also used for the PM. These comments on Modi have drawn fierce opposition from some Indian-American groups.
In India, his victory got a predictably sharp reaction from the BJP. The party's Mumbai unit chief, Ameet Satam, said he won't tolerate any “Khan” leading the city. Party MP and Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has attacked Mamdani by saying he “sounds more Pakistani than Indian”.
Zohran's father, academic Mahmood Mamdani of Ugandan-Indian Gujarati background, is known for his writings on imperialism and fascism. His wife Rama Duwaji is a Syrian-origin artist who is also known for her work around political issues ranging from the Middle East to immigration.
Nehru reference gets Priyanka's thumbs-up
After his victory, Mamdani referenced the “Tryst with Destiny” speech from the time of Independence by Nehru.
“A moment comes but rarely in history when we step out from the old to the new,” Mamdani quoted Nehru, “When an age ends, and when the soul of a nation long suppressed finds utterance. Tonight we have stepped from out from the old into the new.”
India opposition party Congress's leaders, including Nehru's great-granddaughter Priyanka Gandhi, said during election campaign in Bihar that Mamdani's gesture counters the BJP's rhetoric as the former PM is “respected globally”.
Multi-cultural campaign
Mamdani’s campaign referenced Bollywood and South Asian culture frequently — right down to popping some “mouth freshener” from a sachet!
Democratic leader Ro Khanna, also of Indian origin, praised this approach: “I love that he didn’t run away from his heritage. I mean, he did video clips with Amitabh Bachchan and Hindi movies... He shows that one can embrace their roots and their heritage and yet succeed in American politics."
He engaged with the community also by visiting temples, gurdwaras, and mosques.
Mamdani's immigration, diversity pitch
Born in Uganda and having moved to the US at age seven, Mamdani has said he is not apologetic about his being relatively young, South Asian and Muslim among other identities.
His past includes a not-so-successful career as an admittedly mediocre rapper, wearing colourful kurtas, singing about “chapati”, Indian bread that's now a Ugandan staple too. That music still earns him about $1,000 a year (say, ₹90,000) in royalties, contributing somewhat to his income of $142,000 ( ₹1.25 crore) a year, says Forbes.
On the policy front, he advocated for rent freezes, free bus services, and government-run grocery stores. His agenda focused on the working class, to which most immigrants also belong.
In his victory speech, again, he vowed to fight for all New Yorkers, including immigrants, directly confronting the anti-immigrant politics of the right wing led by Trump. “New York will remain a city of immigrants,” he declared.
Faced Islamophobia, Trump's wrath
Mamdani’s success immediately triggered strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from conservatives on social media. However, supporters argued that such racism and Islamophobia were clearly “not enough for him to lose”.
At least one political commentator termed his victory "surreal" in the city, especially 25 years after 9/11, when many South Asian Americans began questioning if New York was still "our city too".
His run was so high-profile that Trump openly campaigned against him, denouncing the Democratic Socialist as a “communist” for his welfare pitch, and “Jew hater” over his pro-Palestine and anti-Zionism stance.
Mamdani's response was equally direct in his speech after the election result: “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up!"
