A handwritten note from across the Atlantic has reignited attention on Umar Khalid’s long and contested imprisonment. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is reported to have written a personal letter to the former Jawaharlal Nehru University student and activist, who remains incarcerated in Delhi’s Tihar Jail under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The image of the letter was shared on Khalid’s official Facebook page and circulated online and the note surfaced on the very day Mamdani took oath as New York City’s Mayor, marking a historic moment as he became the city’s first Muslim and Indian-Origin leader and among the youngest ever to hold the office.
Who is Umar Khalid
Umar Khalid is a student activist at Jawaharlal Nehru University, a doctoral scholar with an interest in history and social movements, Khalid became associated with campaigns against communal violence and hate crimes. Supporters describe him as an articulate voice of student resistance while critics see him as confrontational.
Why Umar Khalid is Arrested
Khalid was arrested in September 2020 for his alleged role in conspiracy linked to the Delhi riots earlier that year. While the Delhi High Court has discharged him in one FIR and he remains in custody under another case involving the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
What is Mamdani’s Personal Letter to Him
Zohran Mamdani’s letter reflects on a past conversation with Khalid about bitterness and resilience urging him not to let confinement harden his spirit. Mamdani also mentions meetings with Khalid’s Parents during their visit to the United States. The note reads less like a political statement and more like a gesture of solidarity from someone who sees Khalid as a fellow activist.
Why US Lawmaker Seeking His Bail
The Letter followed another unusual development of eight US lawmakers formally urging the Indian government to grant Khalid bail and ensure a fair trial. Khalid’s Parents had met several American leaders to highlight his continued detention without trial. For these lawmakers, the concern is not about civil liberties, due process and message sent when dissenters remain jailed for years.
Umar Khalid’s Imprisonment
Umar Khalid remains in Tihar Jail more than five years after his arrest and his case sits at the intersection of law and politics where legal delays became a punishment in themselves. His bail pleas have been repeatedly rejected and in December 2025, the Supreme Court reserved judgement on the matter. Umar Khalid has been in jail since September 2020 in connection with the communal violence, left at least 53 dead and more than 500 injured according to the government estimates.
Police claimed Khalid was a part in the planning of protests, creating a WhatsApp groups and distributing pamphlets calling for road blockades or chakka-jaams after the CAA was passed in December 2019.
Long before becoming mayor, the young Democrat had openly expressed solidarity with Umar Khalid. In June 2023, at a “Howdy, Democracy?!” gathering in New York held ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s US visit, Mamdani publicly read passages from Khalid’s writings penned inside prison, drawing attention to his continued incarceration and the ideas he has sought toiling keep alive from behind bars.
