As student protests reached their peak this summer, the administration began making plans and arrangements to prevent them from continuing into the winter. To that end, it has taken strict measures in the past few weeks. Although student leaders Abhijeet Dipke, Saurav Das, Ashutosh Ranka and Neha Bora have all been at the centre of judicial proceedings, Bora has made aggressive attempts to challenge them.
One important aspect of her activism is that, since her 23-day fast at Jantar Mantar, she has consistently suggested that a section of the judiciary is compromised. During one of her detentions, Bora directly questioned the judiciary. “Those in the judiciary who don't see the death of democracy, tell them to wear RSS knickers,” she said.
Recently, a police notice asked Bora, the president of the All India Students' Association, to appear before a special executive magistrate and show cause as to why she should not execute a personal bond of ₹10,000, with one surety, “for keeping peace for a period of inquiry”. On Saturday, she refused to sign a peace bond. On Friday too , the Delhi High Court had dismissed her plea challenging the police notice.
Bora had argued that the notice was vague, factually incorrect and unsupported by material establishing the likelihood of a breach of peace. The High Court's order also pointed out that, before any bond is executed, it must be ensured that the principles of natural justice are not violated.
“The notice leaves me with a simple question: What is this peace that I am being asked to maintain? And what have I done to threaten it? We have not been provided with any evidence as to how peace was violated,” she said.
There is also a consideration, according to experts, that as long as Bora remains free, the government will be apprehensive about her moves and may therefore try to keep her engaged in judicial proceedings. She has been able to mobilise students and other sections of society around several issues. At the student level, she has also managed to keep the anti-Chief Election Commissioner narrative alive, continuing her campaign to seek accountability from the independent body.
