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TheSiliguri Corridor, often dubbed the"Chicken's Neck", is a stretch of land around the city ofSiliguri inWest Bengal,India.[1][2] 20–22 kilometres (12–14 mi) at the narrowest section, this geopolitical and geoeconomical corridor connects the seven states ofnortheast India to therest of India.[1] The countries ofNepal andBangladesh lie on each side of the corridor and theKingdom of Bhutan lies at the northern end of the corridor.[3] TheKingdom of Sikkim formerly lay on the northern side of the corridor, until its merger with India in 1975.[4]
The city of Siliguri is the major city in the area and the central transfer point connecting Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sikkim,Darjeeling, Northeast India and mainland India.[3] According to theIndian Army, the Siliguri Corridor is the Army's strongest defensive line.[5]
Thepartition of India led to the formation of the Siliguri Corridor through the creation ofEast Pakistan (nowBangladesh) after thepartition of Bengal (intoEast Bengal and West Bengal) in 1947–1948.[6]
TheKingdom of Sikkim formerly lay on the northern side of the corridor, until its union with India in 1975 via a publicly held referendum.[7][8] FromSikkim, India consolidated its control of theChumbi Valley, along with Bhutan.[9][10]
The dimensions of the corridor are a matter of interpretation.[11] Descriptions give it an area of 170 by 60 km (106 by 37 mi) with the narrowest section being 20–22 km (12–14 mi).[1][2]Kamal Jit Singh places the length at 200 km (120 mi) with a width of 17 to 60 km (11 to 37 mi), giving it an area of approximately 12,200 km2 (4,700 sq mi).[11]Another description places its dimensions as approximately 200 km (120 mi) in length and 20 to 60 km (12 to 37 mi) wide, also giving it an area of approximately 12,200 km2 (4,700 sq mi).[12]
The corridor is located between Bangladesh to the southwest, Nepal on the northwest, and Bhutan to the north.[13] BetweenSikkim and Bhutan lies theChumbi ValleyTibetan territory.[14] The southern end of the Dolam plateau or Doklam tri boundary area slopes into the corridor.[15] At the narrowest stretch, the corridor is generally formed by theMechi River in the east; Nepal'sBhadrapur lies on the banks of the river.[16] Further north theMechi Bridge connectsMechinagar.[17][18]
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India has embarked on a slew of projects. These include the construction ofIndia-China Border Roads, where, as of 2024, multiple phases of border roads have been constructed, and Advance Landing Grounds (ALGs), such as the Nyoma Advanced Landing Ground, which is nearing completion as of 2024.[19][20][21] Other projects includeNortheastern India connectivity andLook-East transnational connectivity projects includingBIMSTEC andBBIN to create multiple alternatives to Silliguri corridor, including through Bangladesh and the sea.
All land transportation between the rest of India and its far northeastern states uses this corridor. The route has a majorbroad gauge railway line. Electrification of this double-track corridor is in progress with assistance from theCentral Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE). Additionally, the oldmetre gauge line (recently converted to a 1.676 metres (5 ft 6.0 in) broad-gauge line) connectsSiliguri Junction with Islampur in theNorth Dinajpur district of West Bengal, viaBagdogra (the only airport of national interest in the corridor) and the bordering towns of Adhikari,Galgalia,Thakurganj,Naxalbari and Taiabpur with Nepal. As of 2024, to reduce dependence on the Siliguri Corridor, India is planning to build railway lines throughJogbani inBihar, which would enterBiratnagar in Nepal and then connect withNew Mal Junction in West Bengal.[22] India is also developing railway lines through Bangladesh, which includes constructing new railway tracks and thegauge conversion of existing railway tracks, in order to reduce dependance on the Siliguri Corridor, as of 2024.[23]
As of 2024, there is no free-trade agreement between Bangladesh and India.[24] TheTetulia 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".[25] However, the opening of theTetulia Corridor is still being discussed politically as of 2019.[25]
India has several forces stationed on the borders, theIndian Army andIndo-Tibetan Border Police man the border with China;Sashastra Seema Bal is deployed along the border with Nepal and Bhutan and theBorder Security Force for Bangladesh.[11] The strip is also patrolled by theIndian Army, theAssam Rifles, and state police forces including theWest Bengal Police.[11] The security threat posed by the corridor decreased following the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.[26] Internal threats to the corridor are numerous.[26] Militant groups known to have used the corridor include theUnited Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and theNational Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN).[12]
The threat of a Chinese advance is still considered by Indian planners.[26] A Chinese military advance of less than 130 km (81 mi) would cut off Bhutan, part ofWest Bengal and all ofNorth-East India, an area containing almost 50 million people. This situation arose during thewar between India and China in 1962.[14] The security threat to this corridor was heightened during the2017 Doklam incident.[27] The probability of China cutting off seven states in northeast India has been questioned.[28] The Indian Army has said that the Siliguri Corridor is the Army's strongest defensive line.[5] The Army's TrishaktiCorps (XXXIII Corps) has a strategic role in the region's security.[5] The Siliguri Corridor's security also includesair defense systems, aBrahMos missileregiment and asquadron of the Indian Air Force's Rafale fighter aircraft based atHasimara Air Force Station.[5]
Humphrey Hawksley, in his 2000 novelDragon Fire, briefly authors a situation where China cuts off India's land route to its northeastern territories.[12]Assassin's Mace (2011) by Brigadier Bob Butalia also involves such a situation involvingDoklam andJaldhaka River.[11]
