New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Asian American and Muslim mayor, has written a handwritten letter to jailed activist Umar Khalid, expressing solidarity and recalling Khalid’s reflections on resilience and bitterness.
The note, addressed directly to Khalid, was handed over to his parents when Mamdani met them during their visit to the United States in December 2025. On Thursday, the day Mamdani was sworn in as mayor, Khalid’s partner, Bunojyotsana Lahiri, shared a photograph of the letter on X, bringing renewed attention to Khalid’s prolonged incarceration.
‘Do Not Let Bitterness Consume You’
In the letter, 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.”
Mamdani, 34, was elected mayor last year, making history in New York City. According to Lahiri, Khalid’s parents, Sahiba Khanam and Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, met Mamdani during their US trip, which was undertaken ahead of the wedding of their youngest daughter. One of their elder daughters lives in the US and was unable to travel to India for the ceremony.
Family Meeting During US Visit
“They met Mamdani and a few others in the US and spent quite some time with him. That’s when he wrote this note,” Lahiri told Hindustan Times.
Umar Khalid has been in jail since 2020 after being charged under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots. He was granted interim bail in December to attend his sister’s wedding before being taken back into custody.
Lahiri said Khalid remained indoors throughout his brief release, as required by his bail conditions. “He spent all his time at home. It went by very fast, just like the two earlier occasions when he was out on bail,” she said. “He had home-cooked food, his mother often fed him, and he spent a lot of time with his nieces and nephews.”
Khalid has since returned to jail.
Mamdani has previously spoken publicly about Khalid’s writings. At an event in New York last year, he read excerpts from a letter Khalid had written from prison, in which the activist reflected on resisting bitterness and viewing his circumstances from a broader perspective.
