From campus politics to the streets: The political journey of Neha Bora

Sometimes it is a hunger strike on the streets of Delhi, sometimes a protest and sometimes an attempt to push past police barricades. Over the past few months, Neha Bora, national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA), has emerged as a recognisable face of the student movement. Her 23-day hunger strike brought her to the attention of the media, while her recent attempt to overcome police barricades on the streets of Delhi has once again placed her in the spotlight. At the heart of her protests are demands for the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and questions about the role of the country’s democratic institutions.

On Sunday, October 11, Neha called for another protest near Delhi’s RK Ashram Marg Metro Station. The demand was for Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to resign. The movement had been gathering momentum over allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Supporters gathered in response to Neha’s call. However, within minutes of the protest beginning, a large police contingent was deployed in the area. Attempting to evade the police blockade, Neha and her associates began running towards Connaught Place. At 2:51 pm, Neha announced on social media that they had crossed the barricades and reached Connaught Place. Shortly afterwards, the police detained her. Media reports also described other protesters being dragged and forcibly put onto buses.

Questions were subsequently raised about the conditions in which the protesters were held in police custody. In a video posted on social media after her detention, Neha alleged that the bus in which the protesters had been taken away contained small compartments that left them with barely enough room to breathe. She also claimed that women protesters had been crammed into a confined space. Neha further alleged that male protesters had been verbally abused and beaten. However, the reports did not include a response from the police authorities concerned regarding these allegations.

The protest was not an isolated incident. Neha and her associates had attempted to stage demonstrations in Delhi the previous day, Saturday, as well. Even after facing police obstruction and detention, she declared that the movement would continue. On Sunday, too, her message was clear: if a protest was prevented at one location, people would have to gather elsewhere. The police presence and repeated detentions during the protests across different parts of Delhi have raised fresh questions about the freedom to demonstrate.

To understand Neha’s political journey, one must look at her student years and her involvement in cultural activities. The 29-year-old grew up in Khatima, Uttarakhand. Her father serves in the Indian Army. Because of his postings, the family had to move from one place to another during her childhood. Although she has lived in Delhi for nearly 12 years, she retains a deep connection with the mountainous landscape of Uttarakhand. Her family members do not share her political views. In particular, she has political differences with her father, who serves in the armed forces. However, her family’s objections have not persuaded her to abandon her path of activism.

Theatre has also played an important role in shaping Neha’s political consciousness. While studying at Delhi University, she performed in plays addressing various social issues. Through these experiences, she gradually became acquainted with social inequalities, feminism and progressive politics. She joined a political theatre group through a senior at the university and later became associated with AISA. For Neha, theatre and politics are not separate pursuits; rather, they are two ways of bringing social issues to public attention.

The anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) movement of 2019 marked a significant turning point in her political life. Her experience of taking to the streets to protest during that movement made her more actively involved in politics. Since then, she has participated in movements concerning education, social justice and various political issues. Neha is currently a researcher at Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she is pursuing a PhD in Theatre and Performance Studies. Alongside her academic work, she leads student movements as the national president of AISA.

However, it was the hunger strike in July 2026 that brought Neha national recognition. At the time, three AISA student leaders, including Neha, went on hunger strike at the same protest site as Ladakh-based environmental activist Sonam Wangchuk. They continued their hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for 23 consecutive days. One of their principal demands was the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protest had emerged in response to allegations of question paper leaks in competitive examinations, mismanagement of examinations and the uncertainty surrounding students’ futures.

Neha maintained that students had been growing increasingly frustrated by recurring question paper leaks and examination irregularities over the years. Despite protesting in various ways, they had failed to secure the outcomes they had hoped for. In these circumstances, they chose a hunger strike as another means of protest. As the days passed, the hunger strikers became increasingly physically weak. Eventually, at the urging of opposition MPs and representatives of civil society, they ended their hunger strike on July 20. The subsequent resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan also became a significant development in the aftermath of the movement. Neha emerged as a prominent figure in protests concerning education and student rights.

Neha’s criticism of the education system extends beyond examination irregularities. She has also questioned the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and the increasing centralisation of examination administration. In her view, the problems arising from policymaking in education and the way examinations are conducted have a direct impact on students.

Following the July hunger strike, Neha returned to the forefront of protests in October. This time, the focus was on the country's electoral system and the revision of electoral rolls. Alleging irregularities in the SIR process, she joined the movement demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Despite police obstruction and repeated detentions while attempting to reach Jantar Mantar, Neha has continued to call for the movement to carry on.

Her political journey has involved disagreements with her family, physical hardship and repeated encounters with police obstruction. Yet none of these experiences has persuaded her to withdraw from activism. Moving between academic research and protests on the streets, Neha Bora has forged her own political identity.