“I will not sign the peace bond,” says Neha Bora, even after a setback from the High Court.

New Delhi: AISA President Neha Bora had challenged a notice issued by the Special Executive Magistrate (SEM), which required her to sign a bond of Rs 10,000 and commit to maintaining peace. The Delhi High Court subsequently dismissed her petition. In response, Neha Bora has stated that she will not sign the peace bond.

Neha Bora remarked, “Signing this bond implies that such a ‘peace bond’ can be invoked in this country to suppress democratic and peaceful protests.”

Neha Bora explained that in a vast nation like India, the general public perceives democracy through two fundamental rights: the right to vote, and the right to raise one’s voice when one’s entitlements and rights are under attack.

She argued that when the right to vote faces such a severe assault, taking to the streets is not merely a responsibility, but a duty of every citizen. She recalled that when the voting rights of ordinary people were being curtailed, they took to the streets—protests that have been widely witnessed.

“I saw the use of batons and sticks,” says Neha Bora.
Neha noted that instead of maintaining law and order, what was witnessed was the use of batons and sticks. Women’s clothing was torn. She also pointed out that journalists, too, were subjected to violence at the hands of the police and other security personnel during these events.

Neha Bora mentioned that they received a notice claiming the police had information that they might “breach the peace.” She added that they were not provided with a copy of any FIR; they were simply told that they would “breach the peace.”