The Siliguri corridor.

The Army had carried out Operation Teesta Prahar recently giving a clear hint to Bangladesh to keep off from doing anything funny.

Background

Why Chicken's neck is a perennial security challenge?

The Siliguri Corridor is a narrow stretch of land of West Bengal that connects India's mainland to its north eastern states viz. Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and Meghalaya, collectively known as the Seven Sisters. This land bridge, just about 22 km wide at its narrowest point, lies between Nepal to the north and Bangladesh to the south. 

The recent tension emerged after Mohammad Yunus, Bangladesh's interim chief advisor, made pointed references to India's "land locked" north east in Beijing. Two recent developments heightened Indian anxieties :-

    * Dhaka's plan to move the $ 1 billion Teesta River project from India to China and

    * Reviving Lalmonirhat airbase in northern Bangladesh with Chinese assistance.

Factoids

* 4,096 km Of the total boundary between India and Bangladesh, 2,217 km is with West Bengal.

* 3,149 sq km The district of Darjeeling within the Siliguri Corridor measures and it accounts for

   3.55% of the total area of West Bengal.

* The Siliguri Corridor has about 80 small towns and villages within the areas of Kishanganj district 

   of Bihar, Darjeeling district, northern parts of Uttar Dinajpur district as well as the districts of

   Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar in West Bengal.

* Siliguri town isthe transit point for road, air and rail traffic to Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal along

   with the north eastern states of India. Its location on the foothills of the Himalayas makes it

   strategically important. Its role as the main trading and commercial centre of north Bengal adds to

   its economic significance.

* At its narrowest, the strip is just 21-22 km wide linking the mainland to the north eastern states.

* It's flanked by three countries - Nepal to its west, Bhutan to the north and Bangladesh to the south.

* Major road and rail infrastructure towards the north east passes through it.

Indian steps to secure it

* The Army on 08, 09 May conducted the Teesta Prahar integrated field exercise at the Teesta Field 

   Firing Range in North Bengal, near Siliguri Corridor.

* In Jan 2023, battle preparedness practice of the security forces using latest weapons and equipment

   in a networked, integrated environment involving all arms and services of the Army, the IAF and

   CAPFs was done.

* In 2023, a decision was taken to deploy border guarding forces - BSF, ITBP, SSB - at the corridor 

   during peacetime.

* There is increase in deployment on the Chinese side since May 2020 leading to the precautionary

   deployment by the Indian forces in the region.

Tailpiece.

Heavy rain for the last two days - it's Red Alert in Thrissur from today! And a long power interruption to boot!!