Zohran Mamdani’s letter to Umar Khalid draws attention, renews calls for justice
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed solidarity with jailed Indian activist Umar Khalid, drawing renewed international attention to his prolonged incarceration
NEW YORK/NEW DELHI (MNTV) — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has expressed solidarity with jailed Indian activist Umar Khalid, drawing renewed international attention to Khalid’s prolonged incarceration and reigniting debate in India over dissent, due process, and democratic norms.
The handwritten note, addressed to Khalid and shared publicly by his partner Banojyotsna Lahiri, surfaced shortly after Mamdani was sworn in as New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
In the letter, Mamdani reflected on Khalid’s writings from prison, saying he often thinks about Khalid’s words on resisting bitterness and not allowing incarceration to erode one’s sense of self.
He added that it was a pleasure to meet Khalid’s parents and that “we are all thinking of you.”
Khalid, a former Jawaharlal Nehru University student leader, has been in jail since September 2020 under India’s stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the February 2020 Delhi violence.
He has not been convicted and has spent more than five years in pre-trial detention, a fact that has drawn criticism from human rights groups, legal scholars, and international observers.
According to Khalid’s family, Mamdani met his parents, Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas and Sahiba Khanam, during their visit to the United States in December 2025.
The meeting reportedly included a detailed discussion of Khalid’s case and his continued imprisonment.
Khalid’s father said Mamdani was familiar with his son’s prison writings and had followed developments in the case.
Mamdani’s solidarity comes amid broader concern in the United States.
A group of eight U.S. lawmakers recently wrote to India’s ambassador in Washington, urging that Khalid be granted bail and a fair, timely trial in line with international legal standards.
The lawmakers warned that prolonged detention without trial undermines commitments to due process, equality before the law, and democratic accountability.
While Mamdani’s letter and the U.S. lawmakers’ intervention have triggered sharp reactions from India’s right wing, former diplomats and civil liberties advocates have defended the expressions of concern.
They argue that human rights and democratic freedoms are legitimate matters of international interest, particularly in cases involving extended pre-trial detention.
Khalid was granted interim bail briefly in December to attend his sister’s wedding but has since returned to jail.
The Supreme Court of India has reserved its verdict on his bail plea.
For Khalid’s supporters, Mamdani’s message is less a political provocation than a moral gesture — one that underscores global concern over the use of anti-terror laws against dissenters and the enduring demand for justice, due process, and the presumption of innocence.
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