Zohran Mamdani took the oath of office as the mayor of New York, the largest and most important city of USA, at a decommissioned subway of Manhattan to symbolise his affinity with the city’s workers and marginalised people whose cause he said he would serve, thus wearing the badge of a democratic socialist on his sleeve. He was administered the oath by Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders, a monumental figure in American politics and a torchbearer of democratic socialism, with Congresswoman Alezandria Cortez by his side.

There was hardly any coverage in the Indian media of his historic oath-taking, and the seminal impact Mamdani’s election would have on American politics. The 34-year-old politician broke several taboos in taking charge of the Big Apple, right in the heart of the elite, fat cats and billionaires, the bastion of American Jewry.

Mamdani, however, remains a taboo in India. The government through its media handlers had made it a point to invisibilise Mamdani despite his stupendous victory by ousting the two-time Democrat governor Andrew Cuomo, his nearest rival, by polling more than 50% of the vote. Over one million New Yorkers, cutting across race, religion, ethnicity and economic background and largely carrying the immigrant tag, had voted for him in a ground-breaking election creating waves across the world. It is only his home country India that did not salute its 34-year-old son on his unprecedented victory, rising from an assemblyman to head USA’s richest city.

Mamdani has several firsts: the first American of Indian and Asian descent and African origin, the first Muslim and the youngest mayor of New York. Scion of the celebrated power couple Mira Nair, the globally acclaimed filmmaker with films like ‘Salaam Bombay’, ‘Monsoon Wedding’ and ‘Namesake’ to her credit, and Mahmood Mamdani, Professor Emeritus at Columbia University and post-colonial theorist (his celebrated oeuvre Good Muslim Bad Muslim published soon after 9/11 remained a New York Times bestseller for weeks), Zohran has never idolised being born into an elite legacy. On the contrary, he has taken up the cause of the immigrants given that New York hosts more than 150 nationalities on its soil. Secular and liberal in orientation, he has shown himself caring for the plight of every New Yorker. Outspoken about Netanyahu’s role in the genocidal killings of Palestinians, he has distanced himself quickly from allegations of antisemitism, given that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), America's largest pro-Israel lobbying group, and the New York Jewish Foundation had played an active role in canvassing support for Cuomo. However, the results saw an even split of the Jewish vote, the younger generation rooting for Mamdani while the older, Hasidic and wealthy Jews, voting en masse for Cuomo.

Outspoken Views

President Donald Trump’s fulminations and public denunciations of Mamdani, threatening to cut off federal funds and openly supporting his Democrat rival Cuomo, hardly made any dent in Mamdani’s surging popularity. Calling Mamdani a Marxist and anti-national, Trump sought to nix Mamdani’s political career even before it had started. However, Mamdani turned the tables on Trump by appearing at the White House for a courtesy meeting, stressing his primary objective of securing affordability for all New Yorkers while providing free transport, childcare, affordable housing and government-run grocery stores as he had promised in his election campaign. Surprisingly, and perhaps gauging the public mood, Trump turned turtle and assured Mamdani of all support. The incident showed the contrarian portraits of both ideologically divided politicians of the right and left. One, mean-minded, vindictive, unpredictable; and the other, defiant, committed and fearless.

In the current turmoil in South America, with Trump defying all international norms and “capturing” the elected president and the first lady of Venezuela, a sovereign country, the American system literally collapsed with the media largely and perniciously silent, and with the Congress and the Supreme Court voiceless against this flagrant abuse of power. Mamdani stood up to condemn the brazen act of aggression as a “declaration of war”.

Known for his outspoken views (including outspoken views against Narendra Modi, who he has called a fascist), Mamdani has positioned himself securely on the side of a pro-people ideology. Treating Benjamin Netanyahu with the same disdain, he cautioned the Israeli PM not to ever land in New York as he would have him arrested for committing “crimes against humanity” for massacring thousands of helpless Palestinian women, children, old and sick while calling for the Palestinians’ right to a peaceful homeland on their own soil. Mamdani’s father is a Kutchi Gujarati while his mother is a Hindu Punjabi. Zohran, who is married to a Syrian Muslim, radiates the kind of cosmopolitanism which resonates in his unequivocal liberal views, notwithstanding his taking the oath by placing his hand on a historic old Quran to reaffirm his Muslim ancestry (he had met sizeable Muslims in all five boroughs of New York and secured their near unanimous vote).

Mamdani And India

In his ideological pronouncements, Mamdani veers closely towards a liberal socialist order, a much-needed panacea against the slide towards an autocratic majoritarian State which democratic India has morphed into over the last decade or so. With its secular and democratic credentials founded on the majesty of a nonviolent freedom struggle, India needs a Mamdani at its hour of reckoning in a world tossed between powerful and opposing ideological blocs. It is no wonder that Mamdani chose to quote from Nehru’s iconic “Tryst with destiny” speech when he vanquished all his opponents singlehanded to emerge as the youngest leader of a new generation of Americans, without relying on any corporate or political backing but on sheer people’s support. 

In his seminal work ‘The Idea of India’, eminent political scientist Sunil Khilnani writes: “Modern Indian politics continues to plunder the nationalist pantheon for its iconography while, at the same time, in its practical struggles, it moves further and further away from the nationalist world and its distinctive temperament. The old arguments and battles are replayed today with the current generation’s new meanings and desires: Ambedkar is once again ranged against Gandhi, Patel is brought into battle against Nehru. Even as they divide, these struggles themselves testify to the presence of a common history, a shared Indian past…These struggles constitute the identity of India’s history since 1947. And, in its ability constantly to encompass diverse ideas of what India is, this history is itself expressive of the Indian idea”.

India’s strength lies in its civilizational diversity, its age-old tradition of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ (where the world is seen as one family) and no attempt to paint with a monochromatic brush can bring the real Indian canvas to life. Zohran Mamdani’s ideas – plural, liberal and invaluable – resonate with the core of a new India and make him stand out as a leader worth celebrating.

(The author is a retired diplomat and political analyst. Views expressed are personal. By special arrangement with The Billion Press