AISA Chief Neha Bora Addresses Hasan Memorial Lecture at Lamakaan in Hyderabad

Speaking at Lamakaan in Hyderabad on Sunday, All India Students’ Association national president Neha Bora stated that growing student movements across the country are challenging a political system that treats young people solely as electoral constituencies rather than citizens with independent thoughts.

Addressing the 15th Annual Hasan Memorial Lecture, titled ‘Young India Speaks: Jantar Mantar and the Way Forward’, Ms. Bora noted that her generation entered student activism after witnessing the movement surrounding University of Hyderabad scholar Rohith Vemula. She emphasized that his struggle continues to shape student politics today.

The lecture followed recent demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi that led to the resignation of former Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Recalling police action against demonstrators on July 20, Ms. Bora thanked local activists who protested on the streets of Hyderabad in solidarity when students were subjected to beatings in the national capital.

Ms. Bora also highlighted recent campus movements at several universities across Telangana, including the National Academy of Legal Studies and Research, the English and Foreign Languages University, the University of Hyderabad, and Osmania University. She described these campus struggles as integral components of a larger movement defending democratic dissent.

Linking current student activism to patriotism, Ms. Bora argued that loving the country requires acknowledging its injustices and systemic failures. She also referenced academics and activists who have faced prosecution and imprisonment, naming Umar Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and the late Stan Swamy, who died in custody after his arrest in the Elgar Parishad case.

Former Jawaharlal Nehru University Students’ Union president Sai Balaji also addressed the audience, observing that resistance movements expand as students encounter increasing oppression. Mr. Balaji raised critical concerns regarding examinations, stating that issues such as paper leaks indicate deep systemic failures in providing equal opportunities.