The introduction and debate around the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the Delimitation Bill, 2026, and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026 have opened a historic constitutional moment for India. For the Northeast in general, and for Bodoland, Assam, the Sixth Schedule Councils, and the many small nationalities and indigenous scheduled tribes communities of the region in particular. This moment is an opportunity to correct long-standing democratic under-representation, rectify historical errors, deepen constitutional inclusion, and secure a more balanced and compassionate federal order.
At the outset, it must be clearly stated that any national discussion on delimitation and women’s representation must fully take into account the unique historical, political, demographic, cultural and strategic realities of Northeast India, a region of extraordinary diversity that shares an overwhelming international frontier and has borne a disproportionate burden of conflict, neglect, fragility and political marginalization. The Northeast should not be a peripheral appendage to be discussed only in the language of “last-mile development or the last-man’s progress.” It is a foundational civilizational and strategic frontier of India, and it deserves constitutional imagination equal to its importance.
- Delimitation must correct historical under-representation in the Northeast
The proposed delimitation framework should be judged by whether it expands democratic space for communities that have historically remained under-represented in Parliament and State Assemblies. Many of the communities have struggled for recognition, voice and equitable participation. A credible delimitation framework must therefore become a mechanism for representation, peace-building and institutional trust, not merely territorial rearrangement.
There are nearly 200 communities in Northeast India, many of whom have never received adequate or proportionate democratic visibility in the national political system. In several cases, inadequate constitutional and legislative space has contributed to alienation and instability. If India is serious about durable peace and national integration, then constitutional reform must create room for meaningful political participation by all sections of the region. - Population alone cannot be the sole criterion for the Northeast
We strongly submit that population should not be the only deciding criterion in delimitation for Northeast India. The region’s geographical vulnerability, ethnic diversity, strategic border context, historical conflicts, and constitutional protections require a more sensitive and context-aware framework.
In this light, the case of Bodoland deserves serious national attention. With a population of approximately 40 lakh and home to 26 communities, Bodoland requires a more robust and realistic representation structure. We believe that Bodoland should have 3 Lok Sabha seats and 30 Legislative Assembly constituencies, so that democratic participation can reflect both the size and complexity of the region. The constitutional justice must take into account the diversity, harmonious co-existence, distance, vulnerability, history and the imperatives of peace equally. - Existing constitutional and accord-based safeguards for BTC must be respected
In this context, two issues are especially important. First, BTC is a Sixth Schedule Area. Second, given the large concentration of Scheduled Tribe population in its territory, there is a strong case for increasing ST representation within the relevant legislative arrangements. Third, the delimitation of constituencies falling under the Open Category within the BTC area should be designed in a manner that protects the legitimate representation of bona fide non-tribal citizens of the Bodoland Territorial Council. A fair and durable arrangement must protect both indigenous rights and social balance. Thus Clause 4.7 of the BTC Accord, 2003 must be honoured to the benefit of ST population of BTR, which provides that the existing status of representation of the BTC area in the State Assembly be kept intact through necessary constitutional modification. - Women’s representation must empower women participation, expand democratic space, and enhance the Northeast’s voice
We welcome the broad principle of enhancing women’s political representation. The women of the Northeast have historically played a profound role in social resilience, community economy, public life, peace-building and democratic assertion. The implementation framework must be designed so that reservation women are primarily empowered. This framework can also increase the limited representation in smaller states and protected regions of Northeast India.
For this reason, we submit that existing Lok Sabha allocations in the Northeast should be increased in order to accommodate women’s reservation and also enhancing our regional voice. States such as Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, each currently having only one Lok Sabha seat, require special attention. Similarly, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya and Tripura would all benefit from an enhanced seat structure if women’s reservation is to be implemented in a manner that strengthens and augments representation. - The spirit of enhanced autonomy of the Sixth Schedule Councils must be brought into the centre of the national conversation
An inclusive constitutional response must empower the women and communities of all Sixth Schedule Councils of Northeast India, while also enhancing their autonomy. In view of the long-pending demands of greater autonomy, and the one-time State Reorganization Act 1956, there has been limited progress in fulfilling the demands for autonomy of the people of Sixth Schedule Councils. We therefore call for suitable constitutional and legislative measures, including where necessary amendments touching Articles 81, 330 and 332, so that women and indigenous ST communities in these constitutionally protected regions receive stronger and more meaningful representation in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies. The constitutional future of the Northeast must be designed with the Northeast’s protected institutions at the table. - The Bodoland concerns arising from the Bodo Peace Accord, 2020 must also be addressed
This constitutional moment must also be used to address long-pending matters arising out of the Bodo Peace Accord, 2020. In particular, the demands associated with Clause 3.1 require urgent and serious consideration. These include the incorporation of specific villages with high Bodo populations that remained outside the BTAD/BTC framework, and the expansion of the BTC legislative body from 40 to 60 members to ensure wider and fairer representation.
Clause 4.3 of the Peace Accord provided for the amendments to Article 280 and the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution as per the Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Amendment) Bill, 2019 to improve the financial resources and administrative powers of BTC. This needs to be attended to without further delay.
These are important peace-linked democratic imperatives. The stability and long-term success of the Bodoland peace process depend upon the deepening of representative justice. - A call for wisdom, compassion and constitutional statesmanship
The Northeast cannot be approached with mechanical formulas or episodic attention. Its ecological fragility, ethnic plurality, border sensitivities, peace processes and institutional complexities demand wisdom, compassion, constitutional sensitivity, and consensus among political leadership and bureaucracy. India must rise above narrow partisan calculation and respond to the region with the seriousness it deserves.
Our call today is a call for a constitutional reform that is inclusive, consultative, region-sensitive and future-oriented. If delimitation, women’s representation, and legislative restructuring are to reshape India’s democratic map, then they must also heal old exclusions and strengthen trust in the Union. - Our appeal
We appeal to the Government of India, all political parties, constitutional experts, and the people of the country to recognise that Bodoland, Assam and the Northeast require a special democratic framework within the national constitutional process; the Sixth Schedule Councils must receive central consideration in any restructuring of representation; women’s representation must be implemented in a way that expands the political voice of small states and protected regions; historical accords and peace commitments must be respected; and constitutional reform must become a tool for inclusion, justice, peace and balanced federalism. India’s democracy will be stronger when the Northeast is fully counted and heard.
Pramod Boro
Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
President, United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL)