Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 6 CITY VIEWS June 13, 2025 DRUM Beats Condemns Xenophobic Attack On Assemblymember Mamdani By Councilmember Vickie Paladino D RUM Beats, a grassroots organization advocat- ing for the rights of South Asian and Indo-Ca- ribbean immigrant communities, has strongly denounced recent remarks made by NewYork City Councilmember Vickie Paladino targeting Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani. The comments, which included calls for deportation, were widely con- demned as xenophobic and Islamophobic. The controversy arose from Paladino’s public reaction to a 2019 tweet by Mamdani, in which he reflected on his excitement to vote in a U.S. presi- dential election for the first time and support Senator Bernie Sanders. Paladino questioned the legitimacy of Mamdani’s elected office, citing his relatively recent citizenship status and accusing him of harboring radi- cal anti-American views. “Councilmember Paladino’s comments about Zohran Mamdani reflect a long-standing pattern: elected officials using xenophobic and Islamopho- bic rhetoric to signal who belongs in public life, and who doesn’t,” said Fahd Ahmed, Executive Director of DRUM Beats. DRUM Beats emphasized that these remarks are part of a broader, troubling narrative used by politi- cians across party lines to marginalize working-class immigrant communities—particularly South Asian and Muslim Americans. The organization asserts that Paladino’s comments do not merely reflect personal prejudice but reveal systemic biases that undermine democratic inclusion. “Time and again, our communities are treated as outsiders,” the organization said in its official release. “Now, when someone from these communities rises into leadership, the response is still to call for their removal—not on merit, but on the grounds of identity.” The group framed the attack as a broader assault on inclusive politics, noting that campaigns like Mamdani’s represent a shift in political power toward communities long excluded from decision-making. “This moment isn’t just about one person’s words; it’s about the politics that allow them to go unchecked,” Ahmed added. DRUM Beats, a grassroots organization dedicated to empowering working-class South Asian and Indo-Carib- bean communities, has issued a forceful condemnation of NewYork City Councilmember Vickie Paladino’s recent remarks targeting Assemblymember Zohran Mam- dani. Paladino’s statements, which included a call for deportation, were widely decried as xenophobic and Islamophobic. The controversy centers on Paladino’s reaction to a 2019 post fromMamdani on X.com (formerly Twitter), in which he expressed enthusiasm about participating in his first U.S. presidential election and supporting Senator Bernie Sanders. Paladino criticized Mamdani for not having been a U.S. citizen for a full decade, characterizing him as a “radical leftist” and suggesting he “hates everything about the country.” DRUM Beats Executive Director Fahd Ahmed stated, “Councilmember Paladino’s comments about Zohran Mamdani reflect a long-standing pattern: elected officials using xenophobic and Islamophobic rhetoric to signal who belongs in public life, and who doesn’t.” The organization emphasized that these remarks are not isolated but part of a larger pattern of exclu- sion that targets immigrant, Muslim, and South Asian communities—particularly when they step into lead- ership roles. Adding to the chorus of criticism, Harpreet Singh Toor, a prominent community leader and former NYS Assembly candidate, remarked: “It is regrettable that an elected official of NYC Council, Vickie Paladino, would make statement like that. This shows the current mindset from theWhite House all the way down to every corner of elected officials. If we really look deep, same thing also then applies to the current First Lady. The leadership is supposed to unite the public not to divide it. For their own hunger for power is shown here clearly.” DRUM Beats and other community voices stress that moments like this reveal why grassroots, community-rooted campaigns—like Mamdani’s—are essential. Not because they eliminate attacks, but be- cause they begin to shift the centers of power and define who truly belongs in public life. DRUM Beats reaffirmed its commitment to building political systems that reflect the voices and interests of working-class immigrant communities. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:X Screenshot from X.com shows Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani campaigning for Bernie Sanders in 2019, engaging with voters as part of a movement rooted in working-class and immigrant communities. Rep. Grace Meng Of Queens, NY Puts Indo-Caribbean American Leader In Congressional Record O n June 2, 2025, Congresswoman Grace Meng, D-NY, introduced a resolution for the Congres- sional Record, paying tribute to Caribbean-Indian community leader Ashook Ramsaran, a resident of her Sixth Congressional District, Queens, possibly the most diverse county in the nation. “Mr. Ramsaran has been a resident of Queens, NewYork, since emigrating from Guyana (formerly British Guiana) in 1968. He is the third generation of Indian indentured laborers who worked on British sugar cane plantations after the emancipation of enslaved people in British colonies in 1834. His great grand- father, Pooriye, arrived in Guyana in 1853 aboard the ship Adelaide, and his great grandmother, Radhah, arrived in 1860 aboard the ship Colgrain. His family faced significant struggles and persevered under extremely harsh conditions on the planta- tions. Throughout the generations, they worked tirelessly to build a better life in Guyana rather than return to poverty in India,” the resolution reads. It goes on to give the life journey of Ramsaran through primary school to his move to the United States and up to the present time. Married to Camille, Ramsa- ran moved to the US seeking higher edu- cation and a better life for his family. “ He embodied the American dream with courage, determination, and a commit- ment to succeed,” the Resolution says, as it goes on to describe his life in US, and how he built the fortunes of his family by attaining a number degrees, and facing the challenges of racism. “With remark- able resilience, he exceeded expectations, purchased a home, quickly advanced to prominent positions in major companies, funded his children’s college education, and established a successful engineering firm in Queens, NewYork. He has be- come a role model for his immediate and extended family, as well as for others in his community,” the Resolution says. It describes Ramsaran’s numerous positions in civic and community or- ganizations, including: Executive Vice- President of the Queens Civic Congress (QCC); Chair of the Community Advisory Council for NY Presbyterian Hospital/ Queens (NYP/Q); President of the Indian Diaspora Council International (IDC); Past President of GOPIO International (2011 to 2016), etc. Ramsaran is also a Member of the Dis- trict 24 AMWeprin South Asian Advisory Panel (SAAP); Member of the Queens Borough President’s Census 2020 Com- mittee; Member of the Queens Borough President’s Civic Engagement Commit- tee; and Delegate to the Queens Borough President’s General Assembly (QGA). He has led landmarking initiatives including the Brinckerhoff Colonial Dutch Cemetery (1713), and he has facilitated street-namings such as Little Guyana Avenue, Don Capalbi Way (in honor of an exceptional civic leader), Old Towne of Flushing Burial Ground Lane (a historic cemetery for African Americans and Native Americans), Brinckerhoff Memo- rial Way, and others that honor civic and religious leaders. Additionally, he has established memo- rials to commemorate Indian indenture- ship in various British colonies from 1828 to 1917, including the Kolkata Memorial in India and Indian Arrival Monuments in Guyana. Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, and other locations. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:@ashookramsaran Ashook Ramsaran