The NYC mayoral election in 2025 is attracting attention worldwide. The world’s largest metro economy is larger than Australia’s by some measures, a large fraction of India’s, and a significant trading partner with both. The leading candidate, Zohran Mamdani, is a self-described South Asian Democratic Socialist. However, according to India-watcher and Adelaide attorney Eugene Reinboth, he has a penchant for “great ideals” but “pie in the sky” principles. As New Yorkers and others reel under Trump’s extreme right-wing economic agenda, Mamdani offers an alternative Utopia: rent freezes, construction of 200,000 apartments, free childcare, and other items that would cost around $17 billion annually. The revenue plan? Tax “richer and whiter neighbourhoods” and raise personal and corporate taxes. If the state, federal government and stars all align, this will yield up to 10 billion a year – and still result in a deficit of $8 billion. No to Mamdani
However, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has already opposed the tax hikes and Donald Trump has called him a Communist, so their support appears unlikely. Admittedly, several other economists have supported his plan but instead of calling out the deficit, they have simply pointed back to his own website’s numbers. Simply put: when a Mamdani pilot to have free buses on one NYC route was cancelled after one year, why would it succeed throughout the city? The answer might be that we have to go bigger and look at a federal policy funded not by tax hikes on job-creating entrepreneurs and businesses but by cuts to defence spending. However, Mamdani should then run for President, not Mayor.
At a social level also, Mamdani’s comments do not give all New Yorkers comfort. He re-interprets statements like “from the river to the sea” and “globalize the intifada” to be a cry for equality for Palestinians, while promising to keep Jewish New Yorkers safe. Laudable sentiments – except that he also shows videos that mock Hannukah. Even this could be explained away as a joke, perhaps, except that similar humour poking fun of Islam are nowhere to be seen. No to Mamdani
Even more seriously, Mamdani has made up falsehoods around his family’s country and state of origin – India and Gujarat. More than twenty years ago, tragic riots took place there which claimed the lives of up to 2500 people, mostly Muslims. Today, although almost six million Muslims live there – 10% of the state’s population – Mamdani breezily claimed that “people don’t believe [Gujarati Muslims] exist anymore,”. By doing so, he crossed the line from riveting rhetoric to flagrant falsehood. Moreover, Muslim representation in India has grown from about 9% in 1951 to roughly 14% today, an indicator of population increase, not annihilation. While Gujarat’s three-day violence was inexcusable, the 1992 Los Angeles riots took five days to be quelled in the far more advanced United States of America. The Supreme Court in India also exonerated Modi while in comparison, Netanyahu or Bush were not even charged for their actions in Gaza or Iraq. Thus, Mamdani’s assertion of war crimes belies the truth.
Nevertheless, Mamdani still leads the polls although several New Yorkers have pointed out that his statements create controversy without adding clarity or equity. He chooses to support free expression when it serves him – such as refusing to condemn slogans like “globalise the intifada” – but remains silent when confronted with his own distortions. This inconsistency reveals a troubling moral hierarchy: incendiary speech gets defended, while factual truth goes unacknowledged.
Some may argue that Mamdani’s radical positions, while imperfect, offer a necessary and natural response to Donald Trump’s right-wing hate, where he condemned his opponents – half the country – on America’s Independence Day. Two wrongs do not make a right, however. Mamdani may continue with casual remarks against “whiter neighbourhoods” and Israel in general. His charisma may even allow him to explain them away. However, the trend is troubling. If Mamdani is also willing to sell out the people of India, his ancestral home, what confidence can be there that he will be the flagbearer of democratic accountability or public trust for anyone else? No to Mamdani
What is the alternative? Business executive Suresh Jaswal of the New York Metro Area, says that his first choice is Republican Curtis Sliwa, but concedes that he is unlikely to win in NYC where Democrats outnumber Republicans by a factor of five. He feels that current Mayor, scandal-ridden Eric Adams would be Trump’s puppet but that Andrew Cuomo may be a best choice. Jaswal says bluntly that “Mamdani would be bad” due to his socialist policies.
Regardless, facts in history and precision in economics are the bedrock of credible opposition. Mamdani claiming the moral high ground while ignoring reality undermines the very principles of social democracy. If he aims to unseat Trump-style authoritarianism, he needs to do so with truth and justice – that is the American Way. No to Mamdani
Read More: Zohran Mamdani and the Desi progressive wave
