Zohran Mamdani’s Inauguration: Humanity and Hope in New York

 

Text: Lavina Melwani

Photos: Mohammed Jaffer/SnapsIndia

Opinion:

Zohran Mamdani – a New Mayor, a New Era of Possibility for New York

 I was actually at the mayoral inauguration of Zohran Mamdani at City Hall and saw it all firsthand. I had the most fabulous, unbelievable day which I hope will set the stage for a year of new and unexpected adventures. It was so surreal as over 40,000 New Yorkers seemed to be there, trying to get in, and there were police barricades everywhere. Really quite an adventure because it was like an alien, unknown country with hordes of strangers and cops. The press office had told me that my passport instead of an updated press pass would be acceptable but the NYPD refused to let me past the barrier.  I’d come all the way in bitter cold and was not about to turn back and go home and tamely watch the televised version. I wanted the real thing, with real people. I wanted to feel the vibes of this historic day.

So, I battled on, encountered hundreds of New Yorkers excitedly waiting on various lines, and finally met up with some ethnic media and nonprofit people who were having the same problem as I was.  A kind volunteer guided me on a convoluted track and maybe due to good karma or sheer serendipity, suddenly the City Hall steps rose like a wonderous mirage before me!

This enclosure had a ringside view of the podium where Zohran Mamdani would give his address. The seats facing it were all occupied, but I just started clicking photos of these Zohran supporters, with no idea of where I would finally sit. Suddenly an African-American mama – big, loud, colorful and kind – removed her bag from the seat next to her and told me to sit with her! First row! The press, in fact, was on the two far ends of the stage and the photographers had to crouch on the floor!

 

Mamdani Inauguration – The Supporters    Photos: Lavina Melwani

 

 

The people I was sitting with were a joyous, boisterous lot who hollered and cheered after every great comment by any of the speakers. I’m really not sure where I was sitting, but these invitees certainly had a prime view of the Mamdani inauguration. This whole group -all races and colors – was all smiles, wanted to connect with everyone and it felt like being enveloped in a massive group hug. So, I write this, not so much as a reporter but as a long-time New Yorker.

We had all brought survival goodies from home, so it was great fun – only bone-chillingly c-o-l-d! We had a great view of each VIP guest as they came in – NY Governor Kathy Hochul, Senator Bernie Sanders, Attorney General Letitia James, Representative Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, former Mayor Bill de Blasio. Even former Mayor Eric Adams had turned up! Zohran’s proud parents – filmmaker Mira Nair and Professor Mahmood Mamdani – were both there, sitting a row above Mayor Mamdani and First Lady Rama Duwaji. Although this was the public inauguration on the steps of City Hall on January 1, 2026, the private inauguration had already taken place at midnight in the old City Hall subway station.

After welcome music by DJ moma, we all watched the Presentation of Colors by ceremonial officers, followed by the National Anthem by Javier Munoz. Rep Ocasio-Cortez gave the welcome address to enthusiastic crowds. The invocation was given by Imam Khalid Latif accompanied by faith leaders representing New York City.

‘Somewhere over the Rainbow’ performed by Mandy Patinkin, really set the magical, hopeful theme of the day. He was accompanied by Adam Ben-David and the winsome children of the PS22 Chorus of Staten Island. Seeing these littlest New Yorkers, too young to vote, on the steps of City Hall made it all the more poignant, and more important to see Mamdani’s initiatives for childcare and education succeed.

After being sworn in by Attorney General Letitia James, both Mark Levine, the newly appointed Comptroller of the City of New York, and Jumaane D. Williams, the Public Advocate of the City of New York, gave emotional addresses. It just made you feel that you were in the presence of people who are going to give from their heart for New York City. A poetry reading of Proof by Cornelius Eady set the tone for the inauguration as did a musical performance by Lucy Dacus of Bread and Roses.

Amongst loud cheers, iconic Senator Bernie Sanders administered the oath of office to the 112^th Mayor of New York City – Zohran Kwame Mamdani,  whose heartfelt words were heard by thousands in City Hall and relayed to millions in the warmth of their homes across New York, America and the world. Whether they could pronounce it or not, Mamdani would certainly be a name people the world over knew – and had heard him speak by now. They heard him include the forgotten and invisible of New York in his opening remarks:

“I stand alongside you, the tens of thousands gathered here in Lower Manhattan, warmed against the January chill by the resurgent flame of hope.

I stand alongside countless more New Yorkers watching from cramped kitchens in Flushing and barbershops in East New York, from cell phones propped against the dashboards of parked taxi cabs at LaGuardia, from hospitals in Mott Haven and libraries in El Barrio that have too long known only neglect.

I stand alongside construction workers in steel-toed boots and halal cart vendors whose knees ache from working all day.

I stand alongside neighbors who carry a plate of food to the elderly couple down the hall, those in a rush who still lift strangers’ strollers up subway stairs, and every person who makes the choice day after day, even when it feels impossible, to call our city home.”

Zohran Mamdani – In His Own Words….

He is clear-eyed about the fact that not everyone voted for him and he said, “I stand just as resolutely alongside those who did not. I know there are some who view this administration with distrust or disdain, or who see politics as permanently broken. And while only action can change minds, I promise you this: if you are a New Yorker, I am your Mayor. Regardless of whether we agree, I will protect you, celebrate with you, mourn alongside you, and never, not for a second, hide from you.”

He thanked everyone along his journey for being where he was today: “Thank you to my parents, Mama and Baba, for raising me, for teaching me how to be in this world, and for having brought me to this city. Thank you to my family, from Kampala to Delhi. And thank you to my wife, Rama, for being my best friend, and for always showing me the beauty in everyday things.

Most of all—thank you to the people of New York.”

He continued, “A moment like this comes rarely. Seldom do we hold such an opportunity to transform and reinvent. Rarer still is it the people themselves, whose hands are the ones upon the levers of change.

And yet we know that too often in our past, moments of great possibility have been promptly surrendered to small imagination and smaller ambition. What was promised was never pursued, what could have changed remained the same. For the New Yorkers most eager to see our city remade, the weight has only grown heavier, the wait has only grown longer.

In writing this address, I have been told that this is the occasion to reset expectations, that I should use this opportunity to encourage the people of New York to ask for little and expect even less. I will do no such thing. The only expectation I seek to reset is that of small expectations.

Beginning today, we will govern expansively and audaciously. We may not always succeed. But never will we be accused of lacking the courage to try.”

He reaffirmed, “We will govern without shame and insecurity, making no apology for what we believe. I was elected as a Democratic socialist and I will govern as a Democratic socialist. I will not abandon my principles for fear of being deemed radical. As the great Senator from Vermont once said: ‘What’s radical is a system which gives so much to so few and denies so many people the basic necessities of life.’”

You can read the address in its entirety here: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/01/nyregion/mamdani-inauguration-speech-transcript.html

As Mamdani concluded, there was a deluge of multicolored confetti falling all over us like joyful festive rain, the jubilant crowds went wild with the South Asian vibes as Babbulicious performed and even VIPs including Bernie Sanders joined in . It was all over, but the crowds lingered. In spite of the cold, many were headed out to open air block parties for dancing, music and togetherness – nobody wanted the day to end.

The Mamdani Inauguration Conclusion:

After five hours in frigid weather, I was in terrible need of a restroom but could not face those public commodes in the park! The whole place was like a tundra desert with barricades, no cars or taxis, and shut stores. After the inauguration, many stragglers had taken to those frozen streets to find the way home, and others had bunkered down in a Chase ATM bank front to warm up and ensure their toes were still functioning! I sat down with them and witnessed the sheer joy of people even in discomfort, be they in wheelchairs or with children.  New York certainly seemed like one Happy Town with scores of young and old, all ethnicities, joined for a common purpose – to cheer for Zohran Mamdani and a better tomorrow.

I felt I was an intrepid Arctic explorer as I struggled on in below freezing conditions – trudging I don’t know where – till a cop guided me some blocks away to a small pizza place with a bathroom – and then to my solace – a mug of hot chocolate in a deli!  

As most of you saw the inauguration from the toasty warmth of home, you know the impact of Zohran Mamdani’s powerful words and of the humanistic changes that be plans to bring. Instead of being exhausted and apprehensive of the crowds and long lines, I came away elated, rejuvenated with the conviction of the strength of our common bond, and that New York is full of warm and caring people.

On my way to City Hall, whenever I had got lost in the unforgiving maze of subways and diverted trains or found my Omni card wouldn’t work, there was always a helpful New Yorker nearby. I could not describe them in any specificity -they were white, brown, black. They were Asian, East European, Hispanic, Bangladeshi and spoke so many different tongues. Everywhere, ordinary New Yorkers – immigrants and children of immigrants, young and old, were so willing to stop and help a stranger and share a laugh or kindness.

Kindness -that is their special trait – from the chatty, warm-hearted desi cab drivers to the denizens of Upper East Side townhouses who splurge on stunning Halloween decorations for sharing the joy with neighborhood children and strangers.

They are all New Yorkers – street-smart, gruff, no-nonsense – but kind, always kind.  

It’s the New Year in New York – and we have a New Mayor and the same old strife-ridden world. One of our resolutions should be to show the generosity of spirit to grant Zohran Mamdani the energy, the space and the good will to succeed in all that he is attempting to do – and the grace to fail at some of it, because initial failures sometimes lead to bigger successes.  

Many New Yorkers did not vote for Zohran Mamdani, but we can all root for him to succeed – for in his success lies New York’s success and a better world. Now, that would be the Most New York Thing to Do!

 

 

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