On the third death anniversary of Stan Swamy, who died in custody as an undertrial in the Bhima Koregaon conspiracy case after being denied bail on medical grounds, Outlook examines the journey of Hem Mishra. Mishra, a former JNU student, spent over 10 years in prison over alleged Maoist links before being acquitted in March. Mishra recounted his early years as a cultural activist, inspired by poets and activists from Uttarakhand who spoke of the struggles of ordinary people. He later joined the student movement at JNU. He also described his ordeal in prison, which took over a decade of his youth, leaving him at a crossroads. Three years after the death of activist and Catholic priest Stan Swamy, his name has not been cleared of the allegations related to the 2018 Bhima Koregaon case. Of the 16 people charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in the case, 7 remain in prison. Several other political prisoners, including students and activists arrested during the anti-CAA protests and subsequent communal violence in Delhi, have also been denied bail under the UAPA