India, Jan. 2 -- 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.

Umar Khalid is a student activist at Jawaharlal Nehru University, a ...