‘Kampala to Dilli’: New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s oath-taking moment; speech goes viral
Zohran Mamdani, sworn in as New York’s mayor on Wednesday, marked the moment by thanking his family from “Kampala to Dilli,” reflecting his transnational roots. Born in Uganda to scholar Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, he moved to the US as a child and became a citizen in 2018. The first South Asian and Muslim mayor of New York, Mamdani won decisively in November, blending themes of affordability with cultural references that resonated strongly with the diaspora.
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Zohran Mamdani, who took the oath as the Mayor of New York on Wednesday, thanked his family from “Kampala to Dilli” after his inauguration.Mamdani was born in Kampala to a Ugandan father, Mahmood Mamdani, and Indian filmmaker Mira Nair.
He moved to US at the age of seven and became a naturalised US citizen in 2018. He is the first South Asian and the first Muslim to be elected mayor of the largest city in the United States.
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Thanking his parents and his wife, Rama Duwaji, Mamdani said their support had shaped his journey. “Thank you to my family, from Kampala to Dilli,” he said, drawing loud applause.
In November, Mamdani won a decisive election, defeating Republican Curtis Sliwa and former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent with last-minute backing from President Donald Trump.After his victory in November, Mamdani quoted from India's first prime minister Jawahar Lal Nehru's iconic "Tryst with destiny" speech. "A moment comes, which comes but rarely, in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance," he said.Also read: New York mayor Zohran Mamdani writes to Delhi riots accused Umar KhalidDuring his campaigns, too, Mamdani often invoked India, blending cultural nostalgia and historical reverence to resonate with diaspora voters. Bollywood anthems like "Dhoom Machale" blared at rallies, while campaign videos recreated Deewar's iconic dialogues and addressed "roti, kapda, makaan" affordability.