‘We are all thinking of you’: New York Mayor Mamdani pens note for Umar Khalid

Washington DC [US], Jan 2: New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani has sent a handwritten note to jailed activist Umar Khalid and handed it over to his parents during an interaction in the United States in December 2025.

In the message addressed to Khalid, Mamdani wrote: “Dear Umar, I think of your words on bitterness often, and the importance of not letting it consume one’s self. It was a pleasure to meet your parents. We are all thinking of you.”

A photograph of the note was shared on X on Thursday by Khalid’s partner, Bunojyotsana Lahiri, the day Mamdani was sworn in as mayor.

Lahiri said Khalid’s parents Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas were in the US to visit their daughter ahead of a family wedding. “They met Mamdani and a few others in the US and spent quite some time with him. That’s when he wrote this note,” she said, as per The Indian Express.

Khalid has been in jail since 2020 under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. He was granted interim bail in December to attend his sister’s wedding.

Lahiri said he stayed at home during the bail period because of the court conditions and spent time with family members before returning to jail.

In 2023, at an event in New York, Mamdani had earlier read out parts of a letter written by Khalid in which he reflected on not becoming “bitter” about his situation.

Meanwhile, eight U.S. lawmakers have written a letter urging the Indian Government to grant Khalid a fair trial as per international law.

Ranking Member of the House Rules Committee and Co-chair of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Democrat Jim McGovern, who represents the 2nd District of Massachusetts, and seven other lawmakers penned the letter addressed to India’s Ambassador to the US-Vinay Kwatra.

As per the letter, McGovern and others had met Umar Khalid’s parents earlier in December.

In a post on X, McGovern said, earlier this month, I met with the parents of Umar Khalid, who has been jailed in India for over 5 years without trial. Representative Raskin and I are leading our colleagues to urge that he be granted bail and a fair, timely trial in accordance with international law.”

In the letter, the US lawmakers say, “Umar Khalid has been detained without bail for 5 years under UAPA, which independent human rights experts have warned may contravene international standards of equality before the law, due process and proportionality…India must uphold the rights of individuals to receive a trial with reasonable time or to be release and be presume innocent until proven guilty…We request that your government share steps taken to ensure that judicial proceedings against Khali and co-accused who remain in detention comport with international standard.”

Others who signed the letter are, Congressman Jamie Raskin, Senator Chris Van Hollen, Senator Peter Welch, Congresswoman Pramila Jaypal, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, Congressman Jan Schakowsky and Congressman Llyod Doggett. (With inputs from agencies)