Neha Bora first drew wider attention through her 23-day hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar over examination-related issues.
She later returned to the spotlight after ink was thrown at her during a student protest in Ranchi. The incident also brought attention to her views on Umar Khalid, after the accused reportedly cited her alleged support for him.
Bora has since spoken to The Indian Express about Khalid, JNU, Left politics, the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) and electoral politics.
At 29, Bora is a JNU PhD scholar, theatre and performance studies researcher and national president of the All India Students’ Association (AISA).
So, who is Neha Bora, and why is she talking about Umar Khalid?
Why Is Neha Bora Talking About Umar Khalid?
Bora’s comments about Umar Khalid are connected to her views on student politics, JNU and due process.
Khalid, a former JNU student activist, has been in custody for several years in connection with the 2020 Delhi riots case. His trial has not begun.
Speaking to The Indian Express, Bora raised the issue of his prolonged detention and argued that questions of guilt should be decided through the judicial process.
She said, “No common citizen can be tried by the media. No common citizen can be tried by the citizens. No common citizen can be mobbed and declared, you know, convicted at the whim of some political group or the state... The judiciary has not pronounced Umar Khaled guilty of any of the things that the right-wing accuses it of.”
Bora’s comments were about due process and Khalid’s prolonged detention. They do not amount to a court finding on the allegations against him.
The subject has gained additional attention because of the Ranchi ink-throwing incident, after the accused reportedly cited Bora’s alleged support for Khalid.
Who Is Neha Bora?
Bora is the national president of AISA and a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University.
She is originally from Khatima in Uttarakhand.
Her father served in the Army, and her family moved during his postings. Bora completed Classes 10, 11 and 12 in north Bengal while her father was posted there.
She has said that her years in Bengal influenced her political outlook. She has spoken about encountering the writings of Charu Majumdar, Pablo Neruda and Arundhati Roy during this period.
Her involvement in Left politics came later.
From Delhi University To JNU
Bora studied at the University of Delhi before completing her master’s degree at Dr. BR Ambedkar University Delhi.
She is now pursuing a PhD at JNU’s School of Arts and Aesthetics, where her research is in theatre and performance studies.
She has also been described as a theatre artist and activist.
Alongside her academic work, Bora became involved in student politics and eventually rose to the national leadership of AISA.
What Is AISA?
The All India Students’ Association, or AISA, is a Left student organisation affiliated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation.
Bora is its national president.
The organisation has been involved in student campaigns around education, examinations, university policies and student rights.
Bora became considerably more visible nationally during the student protests at Jantar Mantar in July.
Why Did Neha Bora Go On Hunger Strike?
Bora joined fellow AISA leaders Manish Kumar and Aameen Amitoj in a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar alongside activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The wider protest raised demands around examination-related issues, education reforms and accountability.
The three AISA leaders continued their fast for 23 days before ending it on July 20 following an appeal from a delegation that included MPs, activists and public figures.
The prolonged hunger strike made Bora one of the more recognisable faces of the student movement.
What Happened To Neha Bora In Jharkhand?
After the Jantar Mantar protest, Bora travelled to Ranchi to participate in a student protest involving demands over alleged irregularities in competitive examinations.
On 7 August, ink was thrown at her during the demonstration near the Jharkhand Assembly.
Police arrested a man in connection with the incident. A Ranchi court granted the accused bail on 11 August.
The incident brought renewed attention to Bora and also became the context in which her views on Umar Khalid came under scrutiny.
What Does Neha Bora Say About “Azadi”?
Bora has also spoken about the slogan “Azadi”, which has long been associated with debates around student politics at JNU.
In her interview with The Indian Express, she described “Azadi” as a feminist slogan and discussed what she believes the word represents.
She said, “Whatever slogans we reclaim for ourselves, for this country, are ours to reclaim,” Bora has argued that the meaning of political slogans can depend on the context in which they are used.
What Does Neha Bora Say About JNU?
JNU is central to Bora’s academic and political identity.
She is currently pursuing her PhD at the university and has been involved in student politics there.
In her interview with The Indian Express, Bora spoke about the history of student movements at JNU and criticised what she described as attempts to discredit the university and its student politics.
She also referred to earlier student and public movements, including the anti-CAA protests and the farmers’ movement.
Her broader argument is that student movements are shaped by experiences from previous campaigns.
Why Did AISA Work With CJP?
AISA’s participation in the wider protests associated with the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has also attracted attention.
The two organisations have separate political identities.
Bora said that AISA’s participation was based on the issues involved and the interests of students and young people.
Asked whether AISA would work with CJP again, she said, “Of course, we'll work with them as long as they're working for the people.”
Her comments were about issue-based cooperation and did not amount to an announcement that AISA had merged with CJP.
What Does Neha Bora Say About Naxalbari?
Bora has also spoken about Naxalbari and the history of the Left.
When asked about violent Naxalism, she argued that Naxalbari should not be understood only through the lens of violence.
She discussed the movement in the context of land, labour and the rights of agricultural workers.
Her comments reflect her own political interpretation of the history of the Left and Naxalbari.
TL;DR | News At A Glance
Who is Neha Bora?
She is a 29-year-old JNU PhD scholar and national president of AISA.
Why is she in the news?
She spent 23 days on hunger strike at Jantar Mantar and later became the target of an ink-throwing incident during a student protest in Ranchi.
Why is Umar Khalid’s name being mentioned?
Bora has spoken about Khalid’s prolonged detention and the principle of due process. The issue also came up after the man accused of throwing ink at her reportedly said he targeted her because of her alleged support for Khalid.
What did Bora say about Umar Khalid?
In an interview with The Indian Express, she argued that questions of guilt should be decided through the judicial process rather than by the media or political groups.
What does she do at JNU?
She is pursuing a PhD in theatre and performance studies at JNU.
What is AISA?
The All India Students’ Association is a Left student organisation affiliated with CPI(ML) Liberation.
