The name is ‘M-A-M-D-A-N-I’

IF YOU, like me, get your news from social media you would have been bombarded with this song on social media last week following the news of Zohran Mamdani being elected as the new mayor of New York City.

This immediately caught my attention as not only were the renditions of the song quite entertaining, they were also followed by a clip of Mamdani from his victory speech saying, “Donald Trump, since I know you’re watching, I have four words for you: Turn the volume up!”

He also spelt his name out for his rival, Andrew Cuomo, after he referred to him as ‘Mandani’ or ‘Mandami’ during a debate.

In response, Mamdani emphasized, “My name is Mamdani,” even spelling it out as ‘M-A-M-D-A-N-I’. This started a worldwide craze of the song by the same name.

Mamdani, 34, the son of Indian Immigrant parents, made history when he was elected as the youngest, first Muslim South Asian mayor of New York City, home to some of the wealthiest people on the planet including celebrities like Taylor Swift, Anne Hathaway, Jay Z and Beyonce to name a few.

New York also houses some of the most expensive properties in the world. It is the second richest city in the world after Tokyo with a GDP of $1.8 trillion. What a proud moment for Indians around the world for one of our own to sit at the helm of such power especially given the intense political landscape of America post nine eleven.

I soon learnt that Mandani is the son of acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, director of the movies, Monsoon Wedding, Salaam Bombay and Mississippi Masala. His dad, Mahmood Mamdani is a Ugandan born world renowned professor of government and a specialist in colonialism.

Mamdani grew up exposed to political debates, attending political rallies and understanding the importance of human rights, justice and equality. Mandani and his family moved to Cape Town around 1991 when his father accepted a post at the University of Cape Town.

Young Mamdani attended St George’s Grammar School in Cape Town, one of the country’s oldest private schools.

What struck me most about this charismatic young man were his exceptional debating and orator skills, his humility when interacting with members of the public as well as his amazing energy. He travelled on public buses enroute to his political debates prior to his win and spent time engaging with the other commuters on the bus. After winning the local election, he walked the streets of New York shaking hands, greeting and talking to mostly immigrants in their native tongue. He then went club hopping in New York where thousands of patrons had gathered to celebrate his win.

He sang the lyrics to Alica Key’s famous “New York” and danced merrily with club goers. He was then up early the next morning for television interviews on numerous American news channels. People commented on his never-ending energy, his ability to move from the streets of New York to clubs to news networks within hours and remain mentally sharp, humble and poised.

He speaks English, Hindi, Urdu, Spanish and Chinese, a perfect representation of American society in addition to his array of brilliant legal, business, communication and social skills.

As a forty-two-year-old South African Indian I am most impressed by this charismatic young leader, orator and activist. He has the x factor most political leaders’ envy. He knows that he is a master communicator and never wastes an opportunity to speak boldly about his plans for his city and county moving forward. This event certainly marks a moment in history we as Indians should

be celebrating and teaching our children about. They need to know and understand that hard work, determination and the right mindset can break social, political and religious barriers, as well as open doors generations before them never considered possible.

I will be watching this trailblazer with an eager eye. What a moment to be alive as an Indian.

Nadar Nepaul is an attorney and reality TV star on the Mommy Club Sugar and Spice.

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