Indian-origin Zohran Mamdani took oath as Mayor of New York on Thursday. After this, the Mayor of New York has now written a letter to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) alumnus and social activist Umar Khalid. This letter is going viral on social media. Umar Khalid is currently lodged in Delhi's Tihar Jail under India's stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
The letter surfaced on social media on Thursday, the same day Zohran Mamdani was sworn in as mayor of New York City. With this oath, he has become the first Muslim and Indian origin leader to lead America's largest city. Meanwhile, he has written a letter to Umar Khalid, who was in jail for a long time, saying that we are thinking about you.
There is no date written in this letter. In this letter, Mamdani has mentioned the meeting with the family members of Omar Khalid. He wrote in the letter, Dear Omar, I often think of your words on bitterness and remember the importance of not letting it dominate you. He further said, it was great to meet your parents. We are all thinking about you.
Mamdani's letter has come at a time when 8 US lawmakers have also raised the issue regarding Umar Khalid. Eight US lawmakers have also written a letter to the Indian Ambassador in Washington, putting pressure on New Delhi regarding the continued detention of social activist Omar Khalid.
Mamdani has already spoken publicly about Omar Khalid on several occasions. Howdy, Democracy?!, organized in New York ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US in June 2023. During the program, Mamdani read excerpts from Omar Khalid's works written from jail.
At that time, Mamdani — then a member of the New York State Assembly — had told people, I am going to read a letter from Omar Khalid, who is a scholar and former student activist from Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi. He launched a campaign against lynching and hatred. He has been in jail for more than 1,000 days under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and his trial has not yet started.
Umar Khalid, 38, was arrested in September 2020 and has been charged with several crimes under the Indian Penal Code and UAPA. Delhi court has repeatedly refused to grant him regular bail. However, due to family reasons, he has been granted short-term interim bail a few times. Recently, a Delhi court had granted him temporary bail to attend his sister's wedding from December 16 to December 29, with strict conditions imposed, such as a gag order and a ban on the use of social media.
