Who is Neha Bora, Known as the ‘Sherni’ at the Jantar Mantar Protest?
Massive protests have erupted in New Delhi demanding the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. Neha Bora, the 29-year-old national president of the All India Students Association (AISA), has been at the forefront of these demonstrations and was seen fleeing from the police during the clashes. Active in student movements since 2018, Neha rose to national prominence after a 23-day hunger strike at Jantar Mantar.
On October 15, Kathmandu time, protests continued in New Delhi calling for the resignation of India’s Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar amid allegations of irregularities in the Special Intensive Review process. During the protests, a woman captured widespread attention when police detained her and placed her on a police vehicle. This woman was Neha Bora, the 29-year-old national president of the All India Students Association (AISA). Thousands of her video clips have gone viral on social media, with many dubbing her the ‘Sherni’ (lioness).
Neha Bora was born in Khatima, Uttarakhand. Her family frequently relocated due to her father’s service in the Indian Army. She completed her class 10, 11, and 12 education in Bengal, where she read works by Charu Mazumdar, Pablo Neruda, and Arundhati Roy among others. She later earned a bachelor’s degree from Delhi University and a postgraduate degree from Ambedkar University, focusing on performance studies. Neha became politically active as a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and affiliated herself with the leftist student organization AISA.
Neha has been actively participating in campus movements since 2018. She first entered national discourse during protests against the Ministry of Education over the leak of the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) papers. Despite losing 8 kilograms during a 23-day hunger strike, her resolve remained unwavering. The protest efforts led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Currently, Neha is vocal in opposing Gyanesh Kumar, continuing to raise her voice unabated. She stated, “When the rights of citizens are violated in the country, true representatives of the people come out on the streets.”
During Saturday’s main protest, Neha was at the forefront wearing a red T-shirt when she was taken into custody. She remarked, “I am not a professional runner, but I have become one while running to demand Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation.” Following her detention, she posted a video questioning, “Are police vehicles turning into jails?” While Neha Bora’s future remains uncertain, she has become a strong symbol of India’s youth protests today.