The kingdom of Sikkim formerly lay on the northern side of the corridor, until its union with India in 1975 via a publicly held referendum. The Kingdom of Bhutan lies on the northern side of the corridor. This thin stretch of land-- also referred to as “Chicken’s Neck”, is extremely While it may sound bit revolutionary but like Ladakh, Siliguri Corridor needs to be reorganised into UT. around the world. The Siliguri Corridor, with these road and village constructions, has become closer for China through occupied Tibet and now Bhutan. The narrow Siliguri Corridor, which at one point is less than 27 kilometres (17 mi) wide, remained as the only bridge between the northeastern part of India and the rest of the country. Indians liberated or looted Bangladesh is the question, which you still continue to do. The corridor is heavily defended, besides Indian army, the corridor is defended and patrolled by the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force and the West Bengal Police. China poses a huge threat to India as it is building a road in the location which makes it easier for China to reach the Chicken Neck or the Siliguri corridor of India and can make attempts to isolate northeastern parts of India." It was formally included in India in 1938, when the McMahon Line was established as the border between India and Tibet. That is … The Corridor is also called as the Chicken’s Neck. That's a nice way to console yourself. A Chinese military advance of less than 130 kilometres (81 mi) would cut off Bhutan, part of West Bengal and all of North-East India, an area containing almost 50 million people. It is through the dagger-like formation of the Chumbi Valley that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army can launch an operation to block the Siliguri Corridor and thus delink the whole of the North-east from the rest of India in one massive swipe. “If China was to increase its influence over the region , it would allow Chinese forces to access the Siliguri Corridor, known as the “Chicken’s Neck”. In addition to this, the road being constructed by China in the Doklam plateau will ensure that in a conflict it will block the Siliguri Corridor and cut off the North East. Electrification of this double-track corridor is in progress with assistance from Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE). All land transportation between mainland India and its far northeastern states uses this circuitous corridor, as there is no free-trade agreement between Bangladesh and India. Not all migrants will be vocal about racism, but what is not recorded by polls might still register in a secret ballot. Beside, the 75-kilometre long track will also help better integrate the rest of the country with the Siliguri corridor, also known as the 'Chicken's Neck.' Indian officials claim that China is continuing its build-up along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de facto border between India and China in the Galwan Valley of eastern Ladakh region. The use of Bhutanese territory for the defence of the corridor will attract Chinese punitive action against Bhutan. Lowy Institute. The region, he pointed out, is important as back in 1967, Indian and Chinese forces had exchanged fire on the border in Sikkim — that was merged as an Indian state in 1975 — and heavy casualties had been reported on both the sides at Nathu-la. The Siliguri corridor is a major strategic vulnerability for India, remaining the only land bridge spanning its eight north-eastern states and the rest of its country. international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and As a sensitive area amidst three countries, the strip is heavily patrolled by the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles, the Border Security Force and the West Bengal Police. The route has a major broad gauge railway line. [3] Between Sikkim and Bhutan lies the Chumbi Valley, a dagger-like slice of Tibetan territory. The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & It borders four countries and has seen Gorkhaland and Kamatapur separatist movements. Siliguri (Bengali: [ˈʃiliguɽi] ()) is a city which spans areas of the Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts in the Indian state of West Bengal.Known as The Gateway of Northeast India, Siliguri is popular for three Ts - tea, timber and tourism. By an advance of just 130 kilometres, the Chinese military could cut off Bhutan, west Bengal and the north-eastern states of India. So what exactly happened in 1971, you tell me. It is in the Chumbi Valley, therefore, that the defence of the strategically critical corridor lies. With such a twist, China could change the entire status quo along the LAC and put India under even greater pressure. Compounding matters is their much-touted collusion, manifesting in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). With China continuing road and airstrip construction activities on its side of the border, the threat to the Chicken’s Neck is a constant one, as the infrastructure could allow China to mobilise rapidly in the region. Strategically, it is the Achilles heel in the defence of almost 2,000 km of borders in the NE states with China and Myanmar. Lowy Institute, Lachung, in India’s Sikkim state, near the border of Tibet (Getty Images). The 60-kilometre long and 22-kilometre wide Siliguri Corridor in the Indian state of West Bengal, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck”, connects India’s north-eastern states with the rest of the country. If Chinese forces can exert influence over the “Chicken’s Neck” from Yadong, then China can cut off India’s access to the North East completely in times of war or disputes,” a source familiar of these developments told Zee News. The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, is a narrow stretch of land of about 22 kilometres width, located in the Indian state of West Bengal, that connects India's northeastern states to the rest of India, with the countries of Nepal and Bangladesh lying on either side of the corridor. [1][2] This gave India a buffer to the north of the Siliguri Corridor and consolidated India's control over the western side of the Chinese Chumbi Valley. China has reportedly increased its military activity with a concentration of soldiers, military vehicles, earth-moving machinery and new structures, including near the same point where Indian and Chinese troops clashed on the night of 15 June and India lost 20 soldiers. The Chumbi Valley is that part of Tibet that lies between Sikkim and Bhutan and is proximate to the Siliguri Corridor. The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow stretch of land of about 22 km width, located in West Bengal, that connects India’s northeastern states to the rest of India, with the countries of Bangladesh and Nepal lying on either side of the corridor. The result was the Doklam Standoff between India and China in 2017. The Siliguri Corridor is an especially important and sensitive territory for India, formed by the creation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1948. This piece of land is about 60 km in length but a meagre 22 km in width at its narrowest point. What is the width of siliguri corridor or chickens neck. Keep doing that! 1971 was a tragedy only for West Pakistan, the East celebrated it as a victory, thoughtless at that time that the real victor was only India. Between Sikkim in India and Bhutan lies Chumbi valley, a small part of Tibet. India’s ruling party member of parliament from Arunachal East, Tapir Gao, has warned that China’s PLA has been patrolling inside Arunachal Pradesh, posing a grave threat to India’s security: The Chinese are still active along the international border and the government of India should be ready for any kind of eventualities not only in Arunachal Pradesh but even in Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. U are in no position to take sides nor ur ilkes run the show. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. The Tetulia Corridor, an alternative to the Siliguri Corridor, is proposed under Article VIII of the India–Bangladesh Trade Agreement 1980, which states that "The two governments agree to make mutually beneficial arrangements for the use of their waterways, railways and roadways for commerce between the two countries and for passage of goods between two places in one country through the territory of the other"[citation needed]. Such is the influence of India in NEpal, Bhutan and BD. The Siliguri Corridor lies in the Chumbi Valley of Chinese-held Tibetan Autonomous Region that is contiguous to the Indian States of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. events, published daily by the Distance and Situation: It is a narrow passage with an Achilles Hill which is the point of defense of Siliguri Corridor of the almost 1,000-kilometer border in the North Eastern States with China and Myanmar which is the prime target of the enemy for confrontation. This would also lead to the cutting off of three primary military formations and their units, drastically reducing the supply of equipment and reinforcements to them. Both countries need to psychologically prepare for a “new” world of rising powers and those in relative decline. The corridor is the only route through which security forces can move to Sikkim and Northeast,” said a retired army officer based in Siliguri. The Siliguri Corridor was created in 1947 after the partition of Bengal. While the Chumbi Valley is flanked on either side, by Sikkim on its west and Bhutan on the east, Nepal shares a common border with Sikkim and the Chinese and Indian armies are face-to-face along the whole of Arunachal Pradesh. The deployment of artillery, missiles or anti-aircraft weaponry could further jeopardise India’s efforts to resupply the region in case of war. expert commentary on the latest international In fact, in 2002, the writer Pinaki Bhattacharya had highlighted how the ISI was using the ‘Siliguri Corridor’ as a supply route to provide arms and ammunition via Bangladesh to insurgents in the North East. While each space has its relevance, yet three most critical corridors are – Siliguri corridor; Pathankot-Jammu link and Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO), touted as ‘casus belli’ by the Chinese for the current stand-off. The fact that Bhutan lies to the east of the northern limits of the Siliguri corridor creates a dicey situation for India. The Siliguri Corridor is heavily patrolled by the Indian Army, the Assam Rifles (the oldest paramilitary force of India), the Border Security Force (BSF) and the West Bengal Police. With China continuing road and airstrip construction activities on its side of the border, the threat to the Chicken’s Neck is a constant one, as the infrastructure could allow China to mobilise rapidly in the region. This threatens India strategically with the AH2 road, now barely 70km at Siliguri’s eastern bypass or at Jalpaiguri bridges. Strategically, the Siliguri Corridor is precisely the point where China could hit in case of escalating conflict between the two Asian giants. The Siliguri Corridor is in a highly disadvantageous position in geo-strategic and security terms due to its peculiar geographical features. Lowy Institute, © Copyright 2021 China, which already claims 90,000 square kilometres of territory in India’s north-east, has been a perennial threat to the Siliguri Corridor. This situation arose during the war between India and China in 1962.[4]. Marcus Franda, "Bangladesh, The First Decades", South Asian Publishers Pvt. The predominantly Buddhist Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh shares a 3488-kilometre border with China, which continues to claim the state as a part of Tibet, which China occupied in 1951. Additionally, the old metre gauge line (recently converted to a 1.676 metres (5 ft 6.0 in) broad-gauge line) connects Siliguri Junction with Islampur in North Dinajpur District of West Bengal, via Bagdogra (the only airport of national interest in the corridor) and the bordering towns of Adhikari, Galgalia, Thakurganj, Naxalbari and Taiabpur with Nepal. About 50 million people in north-east India would be separated from the country. The partition of India occurred as a result of hostility between the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League. New Delhi is now facing China’s ire over its infrastructure projects along the LAC and struggling to resolve issues with Beijing. 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