Opinion | How Zohran Mamdani Has Given Indian-Americans An Identity Crisis

In 2022, a dear friend took me to an Independence Day reception in New York City, which we both immediately regretted attending. It was an extremely high-profile event with Mayor Eric Adams and a foreign president as chief guests, excellent waterfront views, exquisite cocktails, and great-looking food. The said friend and his wife are mild-mannered stalwarts of the Indian community in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. We were horrified by the way many of the community members behaved during the reception. The guests' speeches were interrupted by the chants of an Indian political leader's name. The hosts' addresses were eologies dedicated to the same leader. One almost forgot the geographical location of the gala. To this day, I remain awestruck by my friend's patience and good humour with which he tolerated that evening's grotesqueness. 

An Identity Crisis?

The same grotesqueness has translated into slander against New York City's first Indian-origin mayoral candidate, who's almost set to occupy the office. Suddenly, many Indians' urge to claim anyone even remotely Indian in terms of their genetic makeup for achieving anything on the global stage has turned into outright hate. It doesn't matter anymore that the 33-year-old Zohran Kwame Mamdani is the son of National Award and Padma Bhushan-winning filmmaker Mira Nair. It also doesn't matter that his platform has promised to make New York a livable city for everyone, especially those who cannot cocoon themselves in the sense of safety their wealth buys - the immigrants. 

It's funny how a certain group of Indians, in the US and at home, is committed to turn Mamdani into their worst nightmare: the ruthless 'jihadi' who is going to herald a reign of the Ummah in the dream city of NYC. Mamdani's poll promises and/or campaign do not matter; only his name does. His religion, of which he has rarely given a glimpse in his public life, has become the trump card to beat all of his other identities. Roiled Indians have joined the belligerent brigade of Israel's uncritical supporters to brand him an anti-Jew, anti-Hindu, anti-Christian, rabid Muslim. This attempt failed, maybe because nobody thought to give him a taweez, dress him in a Pathani suit, and put copious amounts of surma in his eyes. While at it, his speeches should have been dubbed to insert 'Mashallah', 'Fatah', 'Jihad', 'Inshaallah', 'Jashn', and 'Shahaadat' in each sentence.

Mamdani's 'Irrational' Asks

Mamdani's crimes also include trying to rationalise the government funding towards bringing the grocery prices down, an issue that US President Donald Trump ran his successful campaign around. He also wants the rent to be regulated in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Obviously, his detractors are crying foul. But why are Indians of New York City opposing it? Don't many of them work in Manhattan and live in New Jersey because of the unaffordable rent? Only to commute standing in crowded trains (where it's a norm for one person to occupy two or three seats) twice a day? Do they not chase bargains in grocery stores and split food bills, something they rarely do in India? 

One can understand the scepticism around his policies among people of Delhi, though. Bitten by Kejriwal's optimism bug only to be rudely brought back to the reality of the quagmire of corruption, many of us are labelling Mamdani as New York's Kejriwal. There is nothing wrong with exercising caution, even being cynical. 

The Curse Of The 'Outsider'

The progressive economics espoused by Mamdani has already been declared a failure by economics pundits. But have they offered an alternative that genuinely seeks to fix the many money-related problems faced by city-dwellers? Mostly, everything gets dumped at the doorsteps of the "outsiders". People who have come from "outside" and stolen all the jobs, condemning poor Americans to unemployment and poverty. Outsiders like Indians, who work in kitchens for less than the minimum wage. Who work in the IT and banking sectors and save every penny to realise their American Dream. Who spend years waiting for their asylum/citizenship cases to be heard by the court so they can, at last, bargain for fair treatment. Many of whom are avowedly against Mamdani.

It remains to be seen what actual catastrophes Mamdani's mayoral stint can bring upon the Big Apple. For now, let's just imagine the worst and let our grief taint this momentous political event. 

(Nishtha Gautam is a Delhi-based author and academic)

Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author