By Yisrael Medad, JNS
One possible demographic that should be considered is the Hindu population of the city. They also have a particular stake in this race.
It has been said that in politics, it’s not always the best ideas that win, but the best alliances.
If, indeed, Zohran Mamdani leads the Democratic ticket in New York’s Nov. 4 mayoralty election, as has been recently announced, then the city’s Jewish population needs to map out a strategy. Of course, for the Jewish progressives, liberals, anti-Zionists and other assorted groups, this thinking does not apply. They will vote for him unless a new intifada breaks out in the city prior to that date. That strategy must include alliance-building.
Mamdani has made some inflammatory statements, as well as refusing to issue a clear condemnation of his “Globalize the intifada” plank in his arsenal, now compounded by ignoring the cause of death of Karen Diamond, 82, as a result of a Molotov cocktail thrown at rally-goers on June 1 in Boulder, Colo., by simply tweeting that it was a “vicious attack.” The same day, he wrote of another incident and specified that two young girls were “shot.” Many responses pointed out that Diamond was torched as an act of globalized intifada. This may energize Jewish voters; nevertheless, Jews must seek out anti-Mamdani coalition partners.
One possible demographic that should be considered is the Hindu population of the city. They also have a particular stake in this race.
On her Instagram account, an Indian named Kavya uploaded an attack on Mamdani after Mamdani had called India’s Prime Minister Narenda Modi a “war criminal” and that a “genocide” was perpetrated against the Gujarat Muslims, who almost, he asserted, do not exist anymore.
Indu Viswanathan, an Indian-American Hindu woman, also attacked him, angry that Mamdani claimed that there were almost no more Muslims left in Gujarat, from where his Muslim family originates, writing: “Mamdani is a projection of an illiberal, anti-intellectual authoritarianism. … What I do find questionable, however, is the veracity of the words coming out of his mouth ... .”
And she pointedly added: “If he’s willing to erase 7 million members of his own community of Gujarati Muslims for political expediency in New York, what does that mean for 200,000 Hindus living in New York? What does it mean for the 5 [sic] million Jews living here? Shouldn’t we all be concerned … ?”
That would appear to be a possible line to an alliance.
Her words were prominently featured in the Times of India. Another important newspaper, India Today, was also quite critical. Staff writer Sayan Ganguly highlighted Mamdani likening Modi to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, claiming that Modi should be seen as a “war criminal” in the same manner as his Israeli counterpart. If they are linking the two communities and themes of shared interest, why not take advantage of that?
At this point, a bit of historical background would be helpful.
As Will Durant wrote in The Complete Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage (1935) that the Muslim conquest of India was “probably the bloodiest story in history.” Christophe Jaffrelot of the Paris-based Centre d’Études et de Recherches Internationales has noted that “violence between Hindus and Muslims is a structural given of Indian society.”
Throughout the 1920s, dozens of intercommunal riots took place between Hindus and Muslims. In 1923, 11 riots; in 1924, 18 riots; in 1925, 16 riots; and in 1926, there were 35 riots. In the following months, some 40 more riots took place across the country. The incompatibility displayed led to the 1947 decision to partition India.
These events should remind us of the Mandate of Palestine and the Arab anti-Jewish terror of 1920, 1921, 1929, 1936-1939, and then the outbreak of Arab attacks in August 1947, and then the first Arab-Israel war. India and Israel have historical parallels.
Unlike Israel, India was basically quiet until the Gujarat communal riots of 1969, which lasted more than two months. Some 660 people were killed (430 Muslims, 230 Hindus), 1,074 people were injured, and 48,000 lost their property. In 2002, another round of riots in Gujarat of a three-day period of intercommunal violence broke out in the western Indian state of Gujarat. When the riots ended, the count of casualties stood at 1,044 dead, 223 missing, and 2,500 injured. Of the dead, 790 were Muslim, and 254 were Hindu. This is what Mamdani was referring to when he labeled these events as a “mass slaughter” and compared Modi to Netanyahu.
New York City is home to approximately 390,000 Indians, with a little more than 200,000 being Hindu. Zohran Kwame Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, to a father who was an expatriate Indian of the Gujarati Shia Muslim. He benefits from the support of his community as Gujarati-speaking Muslim society has a custom known as Jamat Bandi, literally meaning “communal solidarity.”
New York City is no stranger to elections in which communal, ethnic, religious and other social characteristics play a role. It would not be outside the ground rules that the Jewish community—concerned not only about his economic program and other aspects of his platform but especially by his pro-Palestinian stance—investigate the possibility of forming a semi-intersectional link-up with the Indian Hindu community, a solidarity reach out.
After all, that is basically what Mamdani is doing with the progressives, the Socialists, blacks and other minorities.
In a democracy, the ballot box rules supreme. But that ballot box needs to be filled with votes, and the votes come from the voters. And voters need allies.
