KOLKATA: The Chicken’s Neck or Siliguri Corridor, a 50km long and 22km wide strip of land that is the only connection between mainland India and north Bengal and the entire Northeast, has emerged as a focus area for the Indian diplomatic and security establishments after the Indo-Pak tensions in the Western sector. The corridor connects eight states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—to the rest of the country.
Sandwiched between Nepal and Bangladesh, with Bhutan and China just a few hundred kilometres away, the Siliguri Corridor is vital for both civilian movement and military logistics. Any disruption to this route poses a direct threat to India’s territorial integrity, making its security a top priority.
The corridor is crucial for transit and trade, domestic as well as international. One million vehicles—trucks, buses, SUVs, private cars, two-wheelers—use this corridor every day, transporting 2,400 metric tonnes of goods and generating Rs 142 crore of revenue.
Several oil and gas pipelines and electricity grids pass through this region.
Following the developments on the western front, multi-agency security drills are taking place at 31 places in Bengal. Out of these, 17 are for Chicken’s Neck which is 13 kilometres at its narrowest point and 23 kilometres at its widest point. The length of the Chicken’s Neck has Bihar’s Kishanganj at one extremity and Siliguri at the other.
Several meetings have taken place between the Bengal government, security agencies, Central forces manning the International Border in Bengal, Central security agencies and Bureau of Civil Aviation.
Following a virtual meeting of Chief Ministers with Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the launch of Operation Sindoor, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has asked the police to step up vigil along the Bengal border.
“We have to keep tabs on the border, so that none can enter with arms and ammunition. Train stations are also to be kept under vigil,” the CM directed.
As part of this process, Chicken’s Neck has been put on intense security radar, an officer said.
In Bengal, the Union Home Ministry has designated 24 locations under Category 2 on security grade and seven under Category 3, depending on which the intensity of the drill will be carried out.
“The drills incorporate comprehensive security measures, including crash-blackout procedures, camouflage of vital installations and evacuation rehearsals,” a senior civil defence officer told The Sunday Guardian.
“Our objective is to minimise civilian casualties while maintaining optimal preparedness for any contingency,” he added.
Lieutenant-General Rana Pratap Kalita, former chief of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command, said: “India’s Northeast is tethered to the rest of the country through this narrow, 20-kilometre-wide Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as the Chicken’s Neck. The corridor’s vulnerability remains a paramount concern, especially given China’s growing influence in its neighbourhood.”
With 99% of the region’s borders shared with five neighbouring countries—China, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal—the remaining 1% of the land boundary through the corridor becomes a crucial artery for the region’s security and economic well-being. Any attack or blockade on this passage, General Kalita stressed, could lead to the Northeast being cut off from the rest of India.
The increasing presence of Chinese workers, particularly in the Rangpur Division of Northern Bangladesh in Dinajpur, was an equally troubling development raised by General Kalita. These infrastructural projects, he speculated, could be a cover for strategic or military purposes, are uncomfortably close to India’s Siliguri Corridor. He also flagged China’s expanding influence in eastern Nepal, particularly in projects close to the corridor, which poses a significant security challenge given the open borders between India and Nepal.
Raja Gopal Dhar Chowdhury, former head of the department of South and South-East Asian Studies at Calcutta University, said: “Absolute control over this corridor is vital for defence purposes and mobility of armed forces.” He continued: “The corridor plays a crucial role in promoting tourism in the northeastern states, which are known for their rich biodiversity, scenic beauty and cultural heritage. This unique piece of land is itself an ecological hotspot.”
He said that China’s expanding military infrastructure near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction has further heightened tensions in the region. “The 2017 Doklam standoff underscored the corridor’s vulnerability, prompting India to ramp up its defences. The presence of a single railway line through the corridor as the primary supply route remains a strategic concern, as it could be a target in case of hostilities,” he said.
Another worry for India is that Bangladesh, under interim chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, has invited Chinese investment to revitalize the British-era air base at Lalmunirhat near the Siliguri Corridor. Reports suggest work on the Lalmunirhat air base could begin by October 2025, with a Pakistani company as a subcontractor.
The region has now come under renewed focus following provocative remarks by Bangladesh’s interim chief advisor Muhammad Yunus, who referred to India’s northeastern states as “landlocked” and positioned Bangladesh as their “guardian of ocean access.”