Scholarly Work and Personal History
Mahmood Mamdani, a scholar specializing in colonialism and anti-colonialism in Africa, is known in part through his son, Zohran Mamdani, a New York City politician. Mamdani's academic work is informed by his personal history as a Ugandan citizen of Indian origin who experienced statelessness twice due to political instability in East Africa during the 1970s and 1980s.
Experiences with Statelessness
Mamdani has stated that under the colonial system, migrants were classified as "non-Indigenous." He argues this classification resulted in individuals like himself not being fully integrated into Ugandan society and being deprived of fundamental rights. These experiences have been cited by Mamdani as foundational to his academic inquiry into questions of belonging and its evolution over time.
Academic Career and Research
Since 1999, Mamdani has served as a professor of government in the department of anthropology at Columbia University. His recent book, "Slow Poison," examines the formation of the Ugandan state following British colonialism and the influence of two autocrats. In the book, Mamdani contends that former president Idi Amin and current president Yoweri Museveni, who has held power since 1986, governed within a colonial legacy inherited from the British.
Interview and Parallels
Mamdani discussed his book and observed parallels between his experiences in exile and his son's engagement with concepts of power and belonging in New York City during an interview with NPR's Leila Fadel. The radio segment of this interview was produced by Milton Guevara, and the digital version was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi.