ABSTRACT
This essay seeks to understand the issue of autonomy and democratic governance with a particular reference to Bodoland. The evolution of the Bodoland issue is being contextualised in reference to a three-level analysis: identity-based struggle, political negotiation vis-à-vis the three peace agreements (1993, 2003 and 2020) and the electoral trends of BTAD (Elections of BTC, State Assembly and Parliament). Moreover, it accentuates the challenges of governance within the said area through a three-dimensional projection: structural, demographic and socio-cultural. The structural dimension delineates the institutional fallacy regarding an arbitrary arrangement of autonomy and the laid-down rules. The demographic dimension dwells on the Bodo–non-Bodo demographic conundrum and its socio-political repercussions. Lastly, the socio-cultural dimension infers the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Northeast as a potential threat to the issue of identity politics for the Bodos.
