Latest news with #Mamdani
Hamilton Spectator
an hour ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Many South Asians and Muslims in NYC and beyond electrified by Mamdani's mayoral primary triumph
The success of Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic primary for mayor is euphoric for Hari Kondabolu, a stand-up comedian who's been friends with the candidate for 15 years. Mamdani stunned the political establishment when he declared victory in the primary on Tuesday, a ranked choice election in which his strongest competition, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat. When he launched his campaign, the unabashed democratic socialist ranked near the bottom of the pack. Now, the 33-year-old state assemblyman has a chance to be New York City's first Asian American and Muslim mayor. Mamdani's family came to the United States when he was 7, and he became a citizen in 2018. He was born to Indian parents in Kampala, Uganda. For Kondabolu, this moment is not just exciting, but emotional. 'I think so many of us have had those experiences in New York of being brown and in a city that has always been really diverse and feels like ours. But after 9/11, like you start to question it like, is this our city too,' Kondabolu said. 'And 25 years later ... it's surreal, like this is the same city but it's not because we've elected this person.' Mamdani's campaign has piqued the interest of many Indian, Pakistani and other South Asian Americans, as well as Muslims — even those who may not agree with Mamdani on every issue. Despite that opposition, some still see his rise as a sign of hope in a city where racism and xenophobia erupted following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. South Asians and Muslims riveted by primary in New York, and beyond Many of New York City's over 300,000 South Asian residents have been inspired by Mamdani's extraordinary trajectory. 'My mom was texting her friends to vote for him. I've never seen my mother do that before,' Kondabolu said. 'So the idea that it's gotten our whole family activated in this way — this is, like, personal.' Snigdha Sur, founder and CEO of The Juggernaut, an online publication reporting on South Asians, has been fascinated by the response from some people in India and the diaspora. 'So many global South Asians ... they're like, 'Oh, this guy is my mayor and I don't live in New York City,'' Sur said. At the same time, some are also concerned or angered by Mamdani's past remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he publicly called a 'war criminal.' In Michigan, Thasin Sardar has been following Mamdani's ascent online. When he first heard him, he struck him as 'genuine' and he felt 'an instant connection,' he said. 'As a Muslim American, this victory puts my trust back in the people,' said Sardar, who was born and raised in India. 'I am happy that there are people who value the candidate and his policies more than his personal religious beliefs and didn't vote him down because of the color of his skin, or the fact that he was an immigrant with an uncommon name.' New York voter Zainab Shabbir said family members in California, and beyond, have also excitedly taken note. 'My family in California, they were very much like, 'Oh, it's so nice to see a South Asian Muslim candidate be a mayor of a major city,'' she said. A brother told her Mamdani's rise is a great example for his kids, she said. But the 34-year-old — who donated, voted and canvassed for Mamdani — said it was his vision for New York City that was the draw for her. She and her husband briefly chatted with Mamdani at a fundraiser and she found him to be 'very friendly and genuine.' She suspects that for some who aren't very politically active, Mamdani's political ascent could make a difference. 'There's a lot of Muslim communities like my parents' generation who are focused a lot more on the politics back home and less on the politics here in America,' said Shabbir. 'Seeing people like Zohran Mamdani be in office, it'll really change that perspective in a lot of people.' Embracing Indian and Muslim roots Supporters and pundits agree that Mamdani's campaign has demonstrated social media savvy and authenticity. He visited multiple mosques. In videos, he speaks in Hindi or gives a touch of Bollywood. Other South Asian American politicians such as Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna praised that. 'I love that he didn't run away from his heritage. I mean, he did video clips with Amitabh Bachchan and Hindi movies,' Khanna said, referencing the Indian actor. 'He shows that one can embrace their roots and their heritage and yet succeed in American politics.' But his triumph also reflects 'the urgency of the economic message, the challenge that people are facing in terms of rent, in terms of the cost of living, and how speaking to that is so powerful,' the progressive California Democrat added. Tanzeela Rahman, a daughter of Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, said she grew up 'very low income' in New York. 'I felt seen by him in a way politicians have not seen me ever,' the 29-year-old financial systems analyst said. 'I think very few people in government understand … how hard it is to survive in New York City.' She found Mamdani to be 'unabashedly Muslim' and also 'a voice, who, literally, to me sounds like a New Yorker who's stepping in and saying, hey, let's reclaim our power,' she said. While Mamdani has been speaking to the working class, he had a somewhat privileged upbringing. His mother is filmmaker Mira Nair and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University. He lived in Queens but attended The Bronx High School of Science. Even as a teen, he cared about social justice, Kondabolu, the comedian, recalled. His campaign messaging on issues such as affordable housing and free bus rides might not resonate with South Asian households in New York City who have income levels above the median. But, the irony is that his campaign and 'great kind of soundbites' earned support from that demographic, too, according to Sur. 'It was, I think, a surprise that he did so well among the wealthiest, including his own community,' Sur said. Mamdani's outspoken support for Palestinian causes and criticism of Israel and its military campaign in Gaza resonated with pro-Palestinian residents, including Muslims, but caused tension in the mayor's race. Some of his positions and remarks on the charged issue have drawn recriminations from opponents and some Jewish groups, though he's also been endorsed by some Jewish politicians and activists. Racism and xenophobia Mamdani's success immediately elicited strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from some high-profile conservatives on social media, including conservative media personality Charlie Kirk who posted that 'legal immigration can ruin your country.' In response, Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress, tweeted 'For years they sold people the lie of 'we have no problem if you come the right way!'' His supporters aren't concerned that racism and Islamophobia will distract from Mamdani's campaign. Those feelings clearly weren't 'enough for him to lose' the primary, Kondabolu said. 'There's a new generation that wants their voice heard and that generation came out in full force, not just by voting, but by, like, getting all these other people to be emotionally invested in this candidate,' Kondabolu said. 'That's extraordinary.' ___ Associated Press writer Matt Brown in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. 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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Many South Asians and Muslims in NYC and beyond electrified by Mamdani's mayoral primary triumph
The success of Zohran Mamdani in New York City's Democratic primary for mayor is euphoric for Hari Kondabolu, a stand-up comedian who's been friends with the candidate for 15 years. Mamdani stunned the political establishment when he declared victory in the primary on Tuesday, a ranked choice election in which his strongest competition, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, conceded defeat. When he launched his campaign, the unabashed democratic socialist ranked near the bottom of the pack. Now, the 33-year-old state assemblyman has a chance to be New York City's first Asian American and Muslim mayor. Mamdani's family came to the United States when he was 7, and he became a citizen in 2018. He was born to Indian parents in Kampala, Uganda. For Kondabolu, this moment is not just exciting, but emotional. 'I think so many of us have had those experiences in New York of being brown and in a city that has always been really diverse and feels like ours. But after 9/11, like you start to question it like, is this our city too,' Kondabolu said. 'And 25 years later … it's surreal, like this is the same city but it's not because we've elected this person.' Mamdani's campaign has piqued the interest of many Indian, Pakistani and other South Asian Americans, as well as Muslims — even those who may not agree with Mamdani on every issue. Despite that opposition, some still see his rise as a sign of hope in a city where racism and xenophobia erupted following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. South Asians and Muslims riveted by primary in New York, and beyond Many of New York City's over 300,000 South Asian residents have been inspired by Mamdani's extraordinary trajectory. 'My mom was texting her friends to vote for him. I've never seen my mother do that before,' Kondabolu said. 'So the idea that it's gotten our whole family activated in this way — this is, like, personal.' Snigdha Sur, founder and CEO of The Juggernaut, an online publication reporting on South Asians, has been fascinated by the response from some people in India and the diaspora. 'So many global South Asians … they're like, 'Oh, this guy is my mayor and I don't live in New York City,'' Sur said. At the same time, some are also concerned or angered by Mamdani's past remarks about Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who he publicly called a 'war criminal.' In Michigan, Thasin Sardar has been following Mamdani's ascent online. When he first heard him, he struck him as 'genuine' and he felt 'an instant connection,' he said. 'As a Muslim American, this victory puts my trust back in the people,' said Sardar, who was born and raised in India. 'I am happy that there are people who value the candidate and his policies more than his personal religious beliefs and didn't vote him down because of the color of his skin, or the fact that he was an immigrant with an uncommon name.' New York voter Zainab Shabbir said family members in California, and beyond, have also excitedly taken note. 'My family in California, they were very much like, 'Oh, it's so nice to see a South Asian Muslim candidate be a mayor of a major city,'' she said. A brother told her Mamdani's rise is a great example for his kids, she said. But the 34-year-old — who donated, voted and canvassed for Mamdani — said it was his vision for New York City that was the draw for her. She and her husband briefly chatted with Mamdani at a fundraiser and she found him to be 'very friendly and genuine.' She suspects that for some who aren't very politically active, Mamdani's political ascent could make a difference. 'There's a lot of Muslim communities like my parents' generation who are focused a lot more on the politics back home and less on the politics here in America,' said Shabbir. 'Seeing people like Zohran Mamdani be in office, it'll really change that perspective in a lot of people.' Embracing Indian and Muslim roots Supporters and pundits agree that Mamdani's campaign has demonstrated social media savvy and authenticity. He visited multiple mosques. In videos, he speaks in Hindi or gives a touch of Bollywood. Other South Asian American politicians such as Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna praised that. 'I love that he didn't run away from his heritage. I mean, he did video clips with Amitabh Bachchan and Hindi movies,' Khanna said, referencing the Indian actor. 'He shows that one can embrace their roots and their heritage and yet succeed in American politics.' But his triumph also reflects 'the urgency of the economic message, the challenge that people are facing in terms of rent, in terms of the cost of living, and how speaking to that is so powerful,' the progressive California Democrat added. Tanzeela Rahman, a daughter of Muslim immigrants from Bangladesh, said she grew up 'very low income' in New York. 'I felt seen by him in a way politicians have not seen me ever,' the 29-year-old financial systems analyst said. 'I think very few people in government understand … how hard it is to survive in New York City.' She found Mamdani to be 'unabashedly Muslim' and also 'a voice, who, literally, to me sounds like a New Yorker who's stepping in and saying, hey, let's reclaim our power,' she said. While Mamdani has been speaking to the working class, he had a somewhat privileged upbringing. His mother is filmmaker Mira Nair and his father, Mahmood Mamdani, is a professor at Columbia University. He lived in Queens but attended The Bronx High School of Science. Even as a teen, he cared about social justice, Kondabolu, the comedian, recalled. His campaign messaging on issues such as affordable housing and free bus rides might not resonate with South Asian households in New York City who have income levels above the median. But, the irony is that his campaign and 'great kind of soundbites' earned support from that demographic, too, according to Sur. 'It was, I think, a surprise that he did so well among the wealthiest, including his own community,' Sur said. Mamdani's outspoken support for Palestinian causes and criticism of Israel and its military campaign in Gaza resonated with pro-Palestinian residents, including Muslims, but caused tension in the mayor's race. Some of his positions and remarks on the charged issue have drawn recriminations from opponents and some Jewish groups, though he's also been endorsed by some Jewish politicians and activists. Racism and xenophobia Mamdani's success immediately elicited strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant rhetoric from some high-profile conservatives on social media, including conservative media personality Charlie Kirk who posted that 'legal immigration can ruin your country.' In response, Democratic Congressman Maxwell Frost, the youngest member of Congress, tweeted 'For years they sold people the lie of 'we have no problem if you come the right way!'' His supporters aren't concerned that racism and Islamophobia will distract from Mamdani's campaign. Those feelings clearly weren't 'enough for him to lose' the primary, Kondabolu said. Sundays Kevin Rollason's Sunday newsletter honouring and remembering lives well-lived in Manitoba. 'There's a new generation that wants their voice heard and that generation came out in full force, not just by voting, but by, like, getting all these other people to be emotionally invested in this candidate,' Kondabolu said. 'That's extraordinary.' ___ Associated Press writer Matt Brown in Washington contributed to this report. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
The Print
an hour ago
- Politics
- The Print
New York, New Comrade. Mayor Mamdani and his India-style socialism
Mamdani's support for Gaza, strong anti-Trumpism (in the US President's own borough) and endorsement by the Democratic Left make him a personality important enough for Donald Trump to write a long post on. There's enormous oomph to a 33-year-old, super stylish and articulate Muslim of Indian origin who is now a front runner to govern the most powerful, rich, Jewish, and cosmopolitan city in the world. In India, it has played into the Hindu-Muslim binary. In the minds of the Hindu Right, it is the conquest of another great global city by a Muslim from the Subcontinent. Sadiq Khan of London being the other. Zohran Mamdani is going to be in the 'talk' not just in New York City or American politics, but also in India. Or, rather than saying that he will be in the headlines, we can use language more apt for the digital era and his demographic: he's going to be a most searched name for some time. He's paid him 'compliments' like 'a 100 percent Communist lunatic', one who 'looks terrible, his voice is grating' and so on. Of course, Trump also links his rise to his pet hate, the quartet of women politicians on the Democratic Left who he calls 'the Squad', led by New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or AOC. The President's choice of words is, of course, Trumpian. In the Trump world, Communist or lunatic might be a common enough description for anybody he dislikes, used as casually as old Captain Haddock of Tintin comics dismissing somebody as a pestilential pachyderm or, simply, a vegetarian. To be abused by President Trump isn't a liability in New York. Also Read: Trump has brought the N-word back in fashion Do I have a problem, or even an opinion on Mamdani's rise? The answers are: problem, no; and opinion, it's great to see Indians rise in western democracies. We took pride in Rishi Sunak, on the Indian Right Kash Patel, Jay Bhattacharya and even Hindu American Tulsi Gabbard are celebrated as is the star cast of 'Indian' CEOs. Mamdani will be a stellar addition. I know what I am saying is triggering a lot of our readers. I am triggered too, but not for the reasons as some of you might be. His faith, his views, support for Gaza, dislike of Narendra Modi or Benjamin Netanyahu are the reasons many in India are unwilling to celebrate it as another 'Indian' conquest. For them, it is a conquest by the wrong guy (read the wrong faith). This polarisation has played out among the diaspora in New York as well. I am not so affected by this. If anything, I might have the boasting rights that the new mayor of the world's greatest city (if he wins) is someone who's mom I hosted twice on Walk The Talk, a story about which I will tell you in the postscript. So, what am I triggered by then? To understand this, let me take you through some highlights of his election promises. He will eliminate fares on buses (hello Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana and then keep adding) freeze the rent on two million already subsidised housing units (remember your Rent Control Act?) and to build more than two lakh homes over three years through Social Housing Development Agency (every Indian city has some such, DDA, MHADA, BDA, no?), provide universal child care for kids from six weeks to five years (anganwadis?) and, hold your breath, sarkari grocery stores with low prices. Remember our 'fair price shops', kendriya bhandars and cooperative supermarkets? All of these ideas are so familiar to two generations of Indians as the great failures of the socialist state. If you were also parked in the ration shop line by your mom as I was when just 10, to hold her spot until she finished cooking lunch and came to buy almost anything we needed, you will know what I mean. From sugar (200 grams per head per week in 1967) to wheat and even cloth by the metre. Everything for the working classes was to be found at state-run shops. Even if you did not have an experience like this, you've seen the state-built concrete working-class housing in our cities which are concrete slum clusters by another name. In New Delhi, I call them slums built by the Delhi Destruction (oops, Development) Authority and every city has has its own version. Our free bus services are now collapsing along with the state government finances. All of the ideas that failed so spectacularly in the country of his origin, Mamdani is now promising to replicate in a city millions of Indians have made their new home, mostly as economic refugees. Mamdani is too young to have picked these ideas from India and unlikely his parents experienced too much of this. However, this love of socialism in a country that gave the modern world its capitalist dream and in the city that represents that breathless success is an interesting point. What's even more interesting is the appeal this finds among New York's young. This is especially so in the big cities, nearly all run by Democrats. And Mamdani, if anything, stands way to the Left of 'the Squad'. Socialism, ironically, oozes significant sex appeal in a city that should be the brand ambassador of capitalist success. Also Read: One person's Deep State is another's Non-State actor. And Shallow State is where the real power lies Or is it the case that such success ultimately breeds socialism? That you've become so rich you can afford socialism? Europe swerved hard Left after the riches piled up, and has been course-correcting lately. Because socialism in rich societies also brings in immigration, racial and religious diversity and, truth be told, tribal internal conflicts from distant lands. Inevitably, it draws a reaction, and the Right returns. Even in Scandinavia, the home of the best socialism. India's problem is, the bad ideas never left us. Only good people, the best minds left. Millions of our brightest, most ambitious, entrepreneurial made America their home. What were they fleeing if not our fake socialism? Every Indian who risks their lives on a 'dunki' today is fleeing socialism which survives in the Modi era. Check out how much Modi government spends on distributive welfare and how BJP, supposedly a Right-wing party, has embraced the freebie culture of Indian socialists. In January 1990, while covering the unravelling of the Soviet Bloc I learnt some taxi driver's wisdom in Prague. Except that this taxi driver had a master's in engineering and was waiting for Václav Havel to fully liberate the economy. You Indians fought back for your political freedoms in the Emergency, he said, but how come you never fought for your economic freedoms? He had the answer: because you had never experienced economic freedom. You didn't even know what you were denied. This was a conversation at Prague's Wenceslas Square where a sparkling streamer hung from a building saying 'welcome back home Mr Bata'. He was driven out by Communism, the driver said, built a fortune in Canada, and now all you Indians wear his shoes. PostScript: Mira Nair and I set up our first WalkTheTalk interview one chilly January morning in 2005 in Delhi's Jama Masjid. We had just about started when the Shahi Imam arrived, furious. 'Ek dum rukiye aap' (stop at once), he said. He recognised me and softened. 'Aap ke liye izzat hai, aap jab marzi record keejiye. Inke liye nahin' (We respect you. You can record whenever you like. But not her). Why, I asked and explained to him what a brilliant and globally respected woman she was. He wasn't impressed and used adjectives that I'd rather not repeat. I wouldn't even commit the sin of imagining if maulana sahib had seen Nair's Kama Sutra or heard of it. But we retreated, recorded in the street outside and concluded the conversation over a breakfast of naan and nihari. Also Read: In defence of Murthy & Subrahmanyan: Success isn't 9-to-5, and no one's forcing you to work longer
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Zohran Mamdani 'needs to be deported': Republicans over NYC mayoral candidate's anti-ICE stance
Calls for the deportation of New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani are growing louder among Republicans. While Mamdani himself has vowed to expel the 'fascist' US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) out from the city properties. President Donald Trump's Border Czar Tom Homan warned against it, saying, 'Good luck with that.' New York mayoral candidate, State Rep. Zohran Mamdani (D-NY) speaks to supporters during an election night gathering at The Greats of Craft LIC on June 24, 2025 in the Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City. (AFP) 'It's game on,' Homan told Fox News, a day after Mamdani declared victory over former governor Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic mayoral primary. Mamdani, a 33-year-old state assemblyman from Queens and a Democratic socialist, had made immigration reform a central part of his campaign. His platform promises to 'kick the fascist ICE out' and strengthen New York's sanctuary city protections by cutting off cooperation with federal agents, boosting legal aid, and safeguarding immigrants' data. 'Zohran Mamdani will fight Trump's attempts to gouge the working class and deliver a city where everyone can afford a dignified life,' reads a statement on his campaign website. Homan responded by saying Mamdani's proposals carry no legal weight. 'Good luck with that, federal law trumps him every day, every hour of every minute,' Homan said. 'We're going to be in New York City, matter of fact, because it's a sanctuary city and President Trump made it clear a week and a half ago — we're going to double down and triple down on sanctuary cities.' According to Homan, ICE operations will increase in New York due to concerns about public safety and national security. He said more agents would be deployed and worksite enforcement would be expanded 'tenfold.' Homan also compared New York to Florida, claiming that cooperation with ICE is smoother in Republican-led states. 'We don't have that problem in Florida, where the sheriffs work with us,' he said. 'So we're going to double up and triple up on New York.' He added, 'Not only are we going to send more agents to the neighborhood, we are going to increase worksite enforcement tenfold.' 'Little Muhammad' needs to be deported In the latest, Tennessee Republican Congressman Andy Ogles ignited a political firestorm this week after referring to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as 'little Muhammad' and calling for his deportation. 'He needs to be DEPORTED,' Ogles wrote on X (formerly Twitter). 'Which is why I am calling for him to be subject to denaturalisation proceedings.' In the same post, Ogles labeled Mamdani 'an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York.' The congressman escalated his rhetoric with a formal letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging the Department of Justice to investigate whether Mamdani gained U.S. citizenship through fraud. He cited a 2017 rap lyric by Mamdani referencing the 'Holy Land Five' — individuals who led a Muslim charity shut down for illegally funding Hamas in 2008. Curbing ICE, Mamdani's one of many plans for New York While his pledge to remove ICE from city facilities has drawn national attention, it is just one part of a broader agenda. Mamdani's campaign also promises to establish city-run grocery stores, freeze rent hikes in rent-stabilised apartments, and make city buses free for all. He says these proposals would be funded through a $10 billion tax increase on large businesses and wealthy residents. Since 2021, Zohran Mamdani has served as a state assemblyman representing Astoria, Queens. His recent win in the Democratic mayoral primary suggests growing public support for his progressive platform in New York City.
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
From rap career to politics, Zohran Mamdani is shaking up New York city politics
Zohran Mamdani is 33. He met his wife Rama Duwaji, a Syrian-born illustrator, on Hinge, a dating app. While grocery shopping, he listens to an hour-long auto-tuned version 'One Pound Fish' by a Bangladeshi man trying to sell fish in London's Queen's Market. His parents are filmmakers Mira Nair and Columbia professor Mahmood Mamdani. He went by 'Mr. Cardamom' when he had a rap career. Mamdani's campaign promises include freezing rent, making public transport free, and subdising grocery stores. He also has a chantable, two-syllable name. 'Zoh-ran' 'Zoh-ran' seems to have a nice ring to it. Facts. So many facts off the top of my head. On June 24, when he won the democratic primary against his opponent Andrew Cuomo Rohan Joshi, an Indian stand-up comic and content creator, suggested in an Instagram reel that we go out to hug our South Bombay friends who were enthusiastically celebrating his victory in the democratic primary — a portion of the New York Mayoral elections. The chronically-online Indian millennial and Gen Z audience suddenly seemed to know far more about Mamdani and voting in New York than facts about their own Members of Parliament. All this, and the guy isn't even mayor yet. What about him has captured the fancy of a young Indian voter base that rarely gets out to vote and cannot name the Member of Legislative Assembly representing their constituency? Is it his A) humble and relatable off-the-rack suit, tie and Casio demeanour B) several hundred Hindi references, appealing to the Indian diaspora C) work with communities including the Blacks, gays and the immigrant population? D) simple good looks and youth or E) ability to use public transport and walk long distances. (You are allowed to choose over one option). Politico says, 'Critics scoffed at the 33-year-old democratic socialist's pie-in-the-sky agenda. And then he trounced everyone.' I'd like to think that Mamdani has struck a chord with young voters globally because he knows how to work social media. His Instagram reels speak to a generation that seeks what he promises: affordable housing, free transport and decent use of taxpayer money. They also want to see their pestilent youth represented in the office. It's why Mamdani's campaign deliberately uses clear fonts and easy chants in colours the Gen Z loves. I now know how much food at a halal cart costs even though I have never set foot in America, let alone eaten at one. While he is now being hailed as Lenin's second coming in liberal circles that are finally coming into their polity, skeptics wonder if his policies will even work in today's age. It's the optimism that works in his favour though. Despite these several opinions, I wonder what I will do with as much information about Mamdani and his campaign. Considering I will never vote there, will I shut this information in the brainrot corner of my head, or will it inform how I envision politics transforming in my own country? Elections in India are not won because of social media but dramatically influenced by it. Only last year, during the Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be seen rubbing shoulders with influencers. With only one year to go for the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly elections, one can see the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Bharatiya Janata Party's IT wings buzzing. Going by evidence from previous elections, it seems like politicians will only use social media to promote supercuts of their fan edits. It is unlikely that they will harness the tool to not just speak, but also connect and elicit a response from the audience. But 10 months is too soon to tell. For now, I have little choice. I will go to bed thinking of what it must be to eat Mamdani's promised eight dollar chicken on rice at the several halal carts outside Central Park, drinking iced coffee in the concrete jungle where dreams are made of, with a byline that someday ends at New York, New York. Level up Zaddy: You might think this is some interesting portmanteau that Gen Z came up with but it really is just what it sounds like, a sexy, charismatic daddy who is usually older. Now you know why Zohran is called Mamzaddy. Are you wondering about the what's happening on Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), Reddit and Discord? Pop it like it's hot, a fortnightly column from The Hindu, catches you up on everything pop culture. All you need to do, is tune in.
