Truly famous is Thomas Hardy's "Mayor of Casterbridge" as it often is a to-do book on the list of every literature enthusiast, the Eng Lit students included, for whom its sheen may wither a little as it is most often a textbook!
These days, however, another mayor is the talk of the town, and not only of the one he would soon start representing. Yes, let us talk of Zohran Mamdani. Unique indeed was his election campaign, highly vocal, absolutely communicative, and reaching out to the very many rejects of the glitz-n-glamour that is New York. The videos are electrifying even in retrospect. May be, the woman power, his mother and his wife, both in to image making, were responsible for it.
This democrat-socialist sure has ruffled many a feather. Want an example? Barack Obama, whose trajectory Mamdani roughly replicates, has not said a word about his victory, right? As for Trump, whom he challenged to "turn the volume up", he is being presented as the very nemesis.
Well, the Republicans seem to have taken his advice rather seriously. Questions are being raised about his naturalisation process. As a result, his very citizenship is under scanner. Much more viable is the danger of Elise Stefanik winning the gubernatorial race. She then gets the legal rights to remove Mamdani under some 'trump'ed up charge, not to forget the threat regarding 'federal funds' looming large.
Mamdani, in his early thirties, an erstwhile rapper, may appear to be continuing the 'Gen Z uprising' motif that rattled the South-Asian (his background referral actually) countries, Bangla Desh and Nepal. Many in the know argue that the 'invisible hand' behind the scene was America! Ironic, right, the U.S. being hoisted in its own petard?
The 'infidel not at the door, but in the city' propaganda does not really hold water, simply because Mamdani would not be the typical rabid jihadi terrorist. His father is a Harvard academic whose book on colonisation and Africa is published by the Princeton University Press. His Harvard educated mother, Padma Vibhushan Mira Nair, is an acclaimed film maker.
Why the suspicions against him then?Because of his 'intifada' proclivities? Does he rouse suspicions of the Deep State agency? Is his overt activism going to hurtle the Kejriwal way as Uday Nirgudkar says? Is it the 'Sadiq Khan of London, now Zohran Mamdani of New York' fear, especially given the 'grooming gang' kind of menace that is threatening England?
In my opinion, it is his unnecessary overreach that is worrisome. He is just a mayor, sure of New York, but even then not responsible for America's foreign policies, right? Why should he, given his responsible position, loosely dabble in international politics? Why dare Netanyahu to come to New York and threaten that he would be immediately arrested?!? Why be so obviously anti-semitic, given the 'salad bowl' image of New York? Why the uncalled for remarks against the Indian P.M.? Absolutely unnecessary, right?
Actually, he is going to have a tough time, given his electoral promises. No, not because the American dream, based on hard work, is not a real fit for freebies. Actually, 'it is the money, honey'! If he really wanted to make a drastic change, cosmetic surgeries such as an all-women council, would not help. Populism may win votes but, unless promises are delivered fast, leads to total disillusionment and the feel of being betrayed, which is the real curse!
Pratima@ When a new star rises, the star dust should stick, a very basic hope, right?
Quote of the day: "What goes up, must come down." Mania causes people (with bipolar illness) to climb higher and higher, and then," says Troy Steven, " crash like a wave rolling in to shore."
Word of the day: monomania. It is made of the prefix 'mono' and the base or the root 'mania'. As 'mono' means one, this 'mania' refers to a compulsive, impulsive obsession with a single cause!
No comments:
Post a Comment