Zohran Mamdani, the newly elected Mayor of New York and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, carries a connection to Delhi in his name. His full name is Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the middle name chosen by his father, scholar Mahmood Mamdani, who lived in Uganda.
The name honours Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s foremost anti-colonial leader and its first Prime Minister, later President. Nkrumah was among the most prominent figures of Africa’s independence movements and maintained close ties with India.
A road in Chanakyapuri
During the Non-Aligned Summit hosted by Delhi in 1983, a major road in the diplomatic enclave was named Kwame Nkrumah Marg. Located near Africa Garden and several embassies, the road remains a reminder of India’s associations with African liberation movements.
Shared histories of decolonisation
Ghana gained independence from Britain in 1957, with Nkrumah first assuming the role of Prime Minister and then, in 1960, President. He advocated African unity and co-founded the Organisation of African Unity (the precursor to the African Union) in 1963. Nkrumah drew on Mahatma Gandhi’s methods of satyagraha and often cited India’s freedom struggle as a reference point.
His links with India began earlier, during his years in London in the 1940s and 1950s, when he met Indian leaders. He visited India twice, in 1957 and 1958, to strengthen cooperation in education, technology and trade. Indian experts contributed to the development of Ghana’s early educational institutions, which were modelled partly on Indian examples. Alongside Jawaharlal Nehru, Yugoslavia’s Tito and Egypt’s Nasser, Nkrumah helped shape the Non-Aligned Movement.
A name that reflects heritage
Zohran has said that carrying the name “Kwame” is a source of pride, reflecting his African background. Born in Uganda to Mahmood Mamdani and filmmaker Mira Nair, he connects multiple cultural and political histories in his identity.
Other African leaders in Delhi’s geography
Delhi also has Gamal Abdel Nasser Marg and Nelson Mandela Marg, both named after key African statesmen and located in South Delhi.
The presence of Kwame Nkrumah Marg in the capital gives geographical form to a shared history — one that now finds a contemporary echo in the name of New York’s new mayor.
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