Suketu’s next on African asylum seekers in NY

BENGALURU:  After a gap of 12 years since his popular book on Mumbai, Suketu Mehta, will be releasing a book on New York. A book about immigrants in the city like himself, Mehta says it will be a sort of an ode to his other favourite city after Mumbai and is a gift to his two children who were both born in Manhattan.  Mehta spoke to the City Express, throwing light on many issues from the present Rohingya issue, the growing wealth gap in the world, his relationships with the cities he has lived in. 

When asked to choose a favourite among cities, Mehta says, "When I am loving them (cities) I am hating them so I can't really choose between cities. Sao Paulo, Paris, I find them fascinating for different reasons, but yes if ask about preferences, New York and Bombay are my favourites. I was born in Calcutta, but have not visited the place in many years,” says Mehta.

In his soon to be released book that has taken Mehta around 10 years to write, he talks about African asylum seekers in New York and their stories on how they came to the city, fallen corporate Indian honchos such as Rajat Gupta and Raj Rajaratnam and reasons behind the decisions they took that led them to disgrace, the NYPD at a time when policing has become a very controversial issue in the country. "These stories are tied up together just like in Maximum City, by my life - from an immigrant at the age of 14 years. I thought I was done writing about cities especially after the seven years I took to write about Mumbai," he says jokingly adding that he signed a book deal when he was drunk.    

On the Rohingya issue in India, Mehta does not mince words, "There are over 100 million Indians outside India who were given refuge during troubled times. What's happening with the Rohingyas is a fast pushing genocide. It is disappointing to see Aung San Suu Kyi behave the way she is doing. India is obliged under international treaties to take in refugees," says Mehta. 

Taking a broader perspective on the issue of immigration, Mehta says the issue was being used as a ploy by the rich. "Eight white men own more than what 3.5 billion humans beings do. People are outraged and they are coming for the rich with pitchforks as seen in the last American elections. The bankers are however not stupid. What they have done is channel the anger away from them and onto the weakest, the migrants," he says.

Book to be adapted to film
One of the stories chronicled by Mehta for his new book, on a group of 30 women in New York who sell the most exclusive "pot" or marijuana delivery network will soon be turned into a movie.