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Business Standard
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Business Standard
Salaam New York: Zohran Mamdani & a fusion of 3 cross-continental cultures
There has been a development in New York that challenges Donald Trump's America, where certain subjects – such as diversity, inclusion, immigrants, and Palestine – have become difficult to venture into. It is the primary victory of Zohran Kwame Mamdani in the mayoral election, one that makes him likely to become New York City's first Indian-American and first Muslim mayor if he wins against the Republican candidate in November. The 33-year-old Democratic candidate, who is a former Republican, was born to immigrant parents, supports Palestine, has a socialist agenda for New York, including free childcare and rent cap, feels strongly about climate change, wants to tax wealthy Big Apple residents, and increase corporate tax. His pro-Palestine slogan, 'Globalise the intifada (rebellion or uprising)', has his opponents gunning for him and the American media dissecting his politics, but he has stood his ground. In many ways, Mamdani symbolises multiculturalism, which stems from the family he comes from, the relationships he has forged, and the arts he has embraced. His mother, Mira Nair, is a well-recognised Indian-American filmmaker, many of whose movies have been critically acclaimed globally. Among them are Salaam Bombay!, Mississippi Masala, The Namesake, Queen of Katwe, Monsoon Wedding, in each of which she pushes boundaries, often turning the spotlight on the underdog, bringing the missable into focus: Whether it is about the struggles of first-generation immigrants (The Namesake), who are caught between two cultures, and their children, who believe they belong to their parents' adopted country but don't quite; or, about the precarious lives of children in the slums of the financial powerhouse now called Mumbai (Salaam Bombay!), where the actors are the street children themselves; or about the travails of a 10-year-old chess prodigy born in a disadvantaged part of Uganda (Queen of Katwe). There is a story behind the name 'Nair', which appears to indicate that Mamdani's mother has roots in Kerala. She is, however, a Punjabi, and her father was in the Indian Administrative Service and mother a social worker. The family name, Nayyar, was changed to 'Nair' by her grandfather for reasons unclear. There is also a story behind Mamdani's middle name, 'Kwame'. It was given to him by his Indian-Ugandan father, Mahmood Mamdani, in honour of the first President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, whom the BBC described as a 'Hero of Independence' and an 'international symbol of freedom as the leader of the first black African country to shake off the chains of colonial rule'. An academic, Mamdani Senior, whose specialisation includes colonialism and post-colonialism, was born in pre-Independence Bombay to Gujarati Shia Muslim parents, who later migrated to Kampala, Uganda. He would, after coming to study in the United States in the '60s, participate in the civil rights movement, and would also be jailed. It wouldn't be amiss to say that a lot of Zohran Mamdani's politics has been shaped by his parents'. In 2013, for instance, Mira Nair had turned down an invitation to the Haifa International Film Festival in Israel as a guest of honour. On what was then called Twitter, and is now X, she posted: 'I will go to Israel when the walls come down. I will go to Israel when occupation is gone... I stand w/ Palestine for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel…' The mayor probable's parents, incidentally, met in Uganda while Nair was researching for Mississippi Masala, and that's where he was born in 1991 – coincidentally, the year the film was released. The couple immigrated to the US when he was seven. Earlier this year, Zohran Mamdani married Syrian-American artist Rama Duwaji, whose work, besides exploring migration, heritage, community and identity, also draws to pro-Palestinian themes. The arts have been Mamdani's constant companion – not just because of his filmmaker mother and artist wife. He is a former rapper. Nine years ago, he released an EP, titled 'Sidda Mukyaalo' (Luganda for 'No going back to the village'), along with Ugandan rapper HAB. And in 2019 came a single, titled 'Nani' – a tribute to his maternal grandmother, Praveen Nair, rich with cultural references to India. It featured the multifaceted actor and cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey as a revolutionary 'nani'. This video can be found on the YouTube channel called 'Mr Cardamom', a moniker Mamdani gave himself. It's a clever sobriquet, given that he is a lawmaker from Queens, and cardamom is recognised as the 'queen of spices'. It is a versatile spice, one that works both in sweet and savoury preparations, and while it is never the core ingredient, it always makes its presence known. Mamdani has also made the world sit up and take note. In 2019, when he first ran for office (New York State Assembly), he redirected his followers from 'Mr Cardamom' to his official handle on X with this message: 'You know I'll be forever spicy but I'm taking a break from being a spice to answer the question of what happens when a B-list rapper runs for office….'. His official handle now has something like 376,000 followers, whereas Mr Cardamom is at 380. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump has gone after Mamdani through his social media platform, Truth Social, branding him a '100 per cent communist lunatic' and saying that 'the Democrats have crossed the line'. The rapper-turned-politician, however, is staying the course. In November, if he is elected New York City's mayor, one of the things he'll be doing is to oversee the largest municipal Budget in the US.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Health
- India Gazette
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami talks about harmful impact of drug use not just on the individuals, but family and state as well
Uttarakhand [India], June 26 (ANI): As the world celebrates the International anti-drug day today, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Pushkar Singh Dhami reminded the harms of drug consumption and said that drug addiction not only affects the mental and physical condition of a person, but also hinders the progress of the families, society and the state. The Chief Minister shared his commitment to making Uttarakhand drug-free and further added that efforts are being made to make Uttarakhand drug-free, and to ensure success, the participation of all is very important. On the occasion of International Anti-Drug Day, he urged all to spread awareness in society about the harmful effects of drug addiction. June 26, observed as the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, is a United Nations International Day. This day aims to spread awareness regarding the harmful effects of drug use and to fight against drug abuse and the illegal drug trade. This day has been observed since 1989. June 26 was chosen to commemorate Lin Zexu's (Chinese political philosopher and politician) dismantling of the opium trade in Humen, Guangdong, ending on June 25, 1839, just before the First Opium War in China. Every year, a theme is chosen, and this year's theme is 'The Evidence is Clear: Invest in Prevention.' Earlier, CM Dhami directed the officers of the Indian Administrative Service to adopt the villages where they started their service to accelerate the development of the state's remote villages. Under the scheme, the officers have started working for the development of the adopted villages. Many officers have closely understood the lives of the villagers and their problems by staying overnight in the villages. After the officers make the action plan, the state government will run a campaign for the development of villages. CM Dhami had expected the officers of the Indian Administrative Service with grade-pay of Rs 8700 or more to adopt the work area of their first appointment. On this basis, 40 senior IAS officers of the state have adopted their first place of appointment. On May 20, 2025, an order to this effect was also issued by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami directs IAS officers to adopt villages where they have started service for development
File photo: Uttarakhand CM Dhami (Picture credit: ANI) DEHRADUN: To include Uttarakhand among the leading states of the country, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has taken up the task of all-around development of the remote villages of the state. CM Dhami directed the officers of the Indian Administrative Service to adopt the villages where they started their service. Under the scheme, the officers have started working for the development of the adopted villages. Many officers have closely understood the life of the villagers and their problems by staying overnight in the villages. After the action plan is made by the officers, the state government will work by running a campaign for the development of villages. CM Dhami had expected the officers of the Indian Administrative Service with grade-pay of Rs 8700 or more to adopt the work area of their first appointment. On this basis, 40 senior IAS officers of the state have adopted their first place of appointment. On May 20, 2025, an order to this effect was also issued by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. All the officers were expected to comment on the changes in their first place of appointment area. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 40세 넘고 PC만 있으면? 이 게임 완전 내 거임! Hero Wars 플레이하기 Undo This means that how fast has the development progressed there as of today and how can the use of CSR or other resources improve the social and economic development of the village. The officers also have to prepare an action plan for 100% correct use of the funds received from the district plan, state sector and finance commission. As per the expectations of Chief Minister Dhami, senior IAS officers have started working in this direction. By preparing a plan for the development of remote villages by the officers, the villages will be developed in a planned manner. The officers are also getting the support of local public representatives and voluntary organisations.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
CM Dhami directs IAS officers to adopt villages where they have started service for development
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 25 (ANI): To include Uttarakhand among the leading states of the country, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has taken up the task of all-around development of the remote villages of the state. CM Dhami directed the officers of the Indian Administrative Service to adopt the villages where they started their service. Under the scheme, the officers have started working for the development of the adopted villages. Many officers have closely understood the life of the villagers and their problems by staying overnight in the villages. After the action plan is made by the officers, the state government will work by running a campaign for the development of villages. CM Dhami had expected the officers of the Indian Administrative Service with grade-pay of Rs 8700 or more to adopt the work area of their first appointment. On this basis, 40 senior IAS officers of the state have adopted their first place of appointment. On May 20, 2025, an order to this effect was also issued by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan. All the officers were expected to comment on the changes in their first place of appointment area. This means that how fast has the development progressed there as of today and how can the use of CSR or other resources improve the social and economic development of the village. The officers also have to prepare an action plan for 100% correct use of the funds received from the District Plan, State Sector and Finance Commission. As per the expectations of Chief Minister Dhami, senior IAS officers have started working in this direction. By preparing a plan for the development of remote villages by the officers, the villages will be developed in a planned manner. The officers are also getting the support of local public representatives and voluntary organizations. (ANI)
Hindustan Times
19-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
That stinging feeling: Rising mercury, nectar shortages trigger bee attacks
Ravishankar Agarwal, a 70-year-old iron trader known for his punctuality and soft-spoken manner, stepped out of his car on an April morning in Kanpur for a morning walk. As he fell a few steps behind his companions near the tree-lined flank of the Cantonment area, a furious swarm of bees descended without warning. Agarwal's death, though sudden, was part of a quiet, unsettling pattern that has emerged across India in recent months. In just the last three months, bee attacks have surged and three deaths have been reported in Uttar Pradesh. Two of the deaths, including Agarwal's, are from Kanpur. The month of May alone brought at least six separate attacks across the state. Among the injured were two Indian Administrative Service officers, and a number of state police services officers in Lalitpur, Bundelkhand. A number of trainee forest guards in Mirzapur in eastern Uttar Pradesh landed in hospital because of the swarm in May. The bees, it seems, are not distinguishing between farmer or official, morning walker or forester. The pattern has become so alarming that the Uttar Pradesh government has now proposed adding bee attacks to its list of recognised disasters. In a recent meeting chaired by the state's chief secretary, it was proposed that victims of such attacks would be eligible for compensation under disaster relief provisions—up to ₹4 lakh in the case of death. According to the proposal, bee attacks will now be treated alongside incidents involving wild animal encounters and house collapses. Scientists, who study bee behaviour, see the recent aggression not as randomness, but as an ecological warning. The surge in attacks is directly linked to environmental stress, according to Dr Ankit Upadhyaya, an entomologist at the Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur. 'Bees are struggling to find food,' he explained. 'The flowering cycle has been severely disrupted by soaring temperatures and erratic rainfall. With fewer blooms, bees face nectar shortages that leave colonies on edge—starved, hypersensitive and primed for defense,' he said. The resulting aggression, he noted, is a stressed reaction to scarcity. When hungry hives are disturbed—by pedestrians, by traffic, by construction and by birds – they respond out of instinct for survival. In Kanpur, as in many urban and rural ecosystems, the bees are not just attacking, they're reacting. The scientists, who work with bees daily in controlled settings, said the signs of distress are not abstract theories but observable shifts. 'We're dealing with domesticated species here—Apis mellifera and Apis cerana—and even they're showing agitation,' said Dr. Upadhaya, who supervises student training at apiary sites in Kanpur. 'Normally, these bees are docile and don't attack. But with the rise in temperatures, they react sharply, especially during feeding. When we offer sugar concentrate, they sometimes swarm aggressively at first, then settle. That spike in hostility wasn't typical before,' he said. The behaviour is consistent in the field, Upadhyaya added, suggesting that environmental stress is overriding their domesticated temperament. 'Bees are under pressure—and like any species, they adapt under pressure,' explained Dr Akhilesh Singh, an associate professor at Rani Laxmi Bai Central University for Agriculture in Jhansi, who has studied bee behavior extensively across Nagaland and Bundelkhand. 'India hosts four main types of honeybees, but it's Apis dorsata and Apis florea that are inherently more aggressive. Dorsata, in particular, has a strong defensive instinct. It doesn't hesitate—it retaliates, and once provoked, the colony doesn't stop.' What makes Apis dorsata especially formidable, Singh said, is its use of biochemical signaling during an attack. 'Each sting releases an alarm pheromone—a scent trail that tells the rest of the colony to join in. It's not just one bee defending—it's a cascade.' In such cases, the initial sting isn't the end of the event; it's the beginning of escalation. Scientists point out that as food becomes scarce, bees are now swarming more often and covering greater distances than before. 'Bees usually forage within a three-kilometre radius of their hive,' explained Dr Upadhaya. 'But when flowers are fewer and nectar runs low, they expand their search—and that increases the chances of encounters with people,' he said. In many recent cases, the bees weren't defending a hive—they were in transit, unsettled, scanning for food. When hungry swarms feel threatened, even by accident, they respond with immediate aggression. The incidents in Lalitpur and Sonbhadra, where multiple people were stung, are stark reminders of this pattern. 'You'll notice many of these attacks are happening in areas that are less crowded,' he added. 'That's because the bees are migrating away from depleted zones and passing through quieter, more rural spaces where their movement isn't noticed until it's too late.' In east UP's Chandauli, a team of engineers came under attack during routine construction. 'Their equipment was causing 'kampan'—tremors or vibrations—which bees are extremely sensitive to,' said Dr Singh. 'To a stressed swarm, even the sound or shake of a drill can feel like a threat,' he said. Researches have looked at how rising temperatures affect bees—their flight, behaviour and ability to find food—but scientists say much more needs to be studied, especially in India. 'We know heat makes bees more restless. It affects how they fly, how active they are, and how well they can gather nectar,' said Dr Akhilesh Singh. 'But we don't fully understand what happens when this heat stress continues over time—especially in noisy, crowded cities where their natural habitats are already shrinking.' Most of the current studies, he said, come from colder countries where bees face different conditions. 'In India, bees live in much hotter and more unstable environments. Their reactions may be very different—not just stronger, but completely different in nature,' Singh said. Both he and Dr Upadhaya agreed that India needs long-term research focused on local bee species, across different regions and seasons. 'We're noticing changes, but to understand them clearly, we need more detailed studies. Right now, we're seeing warning signs. What we need is a clearer picture of what's really happening.' Dr SN Sunil Pandey, a senior weather scientist at the CSA University, said this year's heat began much earlier than usual. 'In March, April, and May, temperatures were already six to eight degrees above normal,' he explained. 'Even when the daytime heat dropped a little later, it stayed high for most of the day. didn't get cooler like they usually do.' This constant heat, scientists said, has added to the stress on bees and may be one of the reasons why they've become more aggressive. The impact of heat is showing in flower fields too. CP Awasthi, district horticulture officer of Kannauj, a region known for using flowers to make itr (traditional perfume), said the rising temperatures have clearly hurt flower production. 'There's definitely been a drop in flower yield,' he said. 'Nectar production is down, and the pollination process has also been affected.' Scientists at the Indian Institute of Pulses Research, though not officially allowed to speak to the media, echoed this concern. They said bees play a crucial role in pollination, and that role is being disrupted. 'Bees have their own way to cool down—they buzz their wings 1,200 to 1,300 times per minute,' a researcher explained. 'But with constant heat in the air, even that coping mechanism is starting to fail.' Amid growing concern, scientists are also offering clear advice to the public—especially those venturing into forested or semi-rural areas. 'Avoid wearing strong perfumes or black clothing,' said Dr. Upadhaya. 'Both tend to attract bees. Dark colours can appear threatening to them, and scented products confuse their senses, making them more likely to approach—and possibly attack.' If a swarm does descend, the most important thing is to remain still. 'Don't swat or wave your arms. Any sudden movement is seen as aggression,' warned Dr. Singh. 'Lie down flat on the ground and stay motionless. Struggling only makes the bees more defensive.' Using leaves to gently brush off stings, without rubbing the skin, can help reduce the spread of venom. And if there's a water source nearby, take shelter in it—bees typically won't follow into water. 'These are basic steps, but they can be life-saving,' Singh added. 'The key is not to panic. Bees aren't looking to attack—they're reacting to fear.'
