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Why NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Chose To Write A Letter To Umar Khalid On His First Day In Office – Espousing The Same Political Ideology?

By Samira Vishwas

New York City’s Indian-origin mayor Zohran Mamdani has written a handwritten letter to jailed Indian ‘activist’ Umar Khalid. The note, addressed directly to Khalid, was handed over to his parents during their visit to the United States in December 2025.

‘We Are All Thinking of You’: Zohran Mamdani’s Message To Umar Khalid

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, became New York City’s first Asian American and Muslim mayor last year. He met Khalid’s parents during their US trip and personally gave them the note for their son.

Also Read: Why Is Zohran Mamdani Taking Oath On Two Qurans? The Historic Reason Behind NYC Mayor’s Swearing-In

Note Shared Publicly on Zohran Mamdani’s Swearing-In Day

On Thursday, the day Mamdani was sworn in as mayor, Khalid’s partner, Bunojyotsana Lahiri, shared a photograph of the handwritten letter in a post on X.

Lahiri has told Hindustan Times that Khalid’s parents had travelled to the US ahead of their youngest daughter’s wedding.

“They had gone to meet one of their elder daughters who lives there, as she was not going to be able to attend the wedding,” Lahiri said.

She added that during their visit, they met Mamdani and several others and spent considerable time with him.

“That’s when he wrote this note,” she said.

Umar Khalid’s Incarceration and Brief Release On Bail

Umar Khalid has been in jail since 2020 under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots.

In December, he was granted interim bail to attend his sister’s wedding.

Whither

In 2023, at an event held in New York, Mamdani read aloud from a letter written by Khalid.

Mamdani told the audience that Khalid wrote about repeatedly reminding himself not to become bitter about his circumstances and instead view them from a broader perspective.

Addressing the gathering, Mamdani said, “I’m going to be reading a letter from Umar Khalid, who is a scholar and a former student activist at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.”

What Has Has Zohran

Umar Khalid first came into focus as one of the organisers of an event at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on February 9, marking the death anniversary of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.

The event led to allegations of anti-national sloganeering, following which eight JNU students were suspended. Then JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar was arrested on charges of sedition.

Zohran Mamdani and Umar Khalid are known to affirm nearly the same political ideology.

Mamdani has described himself as a democratic socialist. He has been characterised as a borderline communist, – an ideological position that Umar Khalid has also been alleged to espouse.

Also Read: Democrat Zohran Mamdani Sworn In as New York City Mayor, Pledges Democratic Socialist Agenda

Zubair Amin

Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin

x.com/zubaiyramin

The post Why NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Chose To Write A Letter To Umar Khalid On His First Day In Office – Espousing The Same Political Ideology? appeared first on NewsX.

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