Explainer: What is Siliguri Corridor? A narrow link between northeast and rest of the India

The South Asian political environment is getting increasingly complex and diversified, with a rising shift in emphasis on major powers and power politics. As a result, South Asia has become a new battleground for great power competition.

South Asia, in addition to its growing geopolitical importance, is home to a number of critical strategic places and regions. It is significant not only in terms of regional politics, but also in terms of security. The Siliguri Corridor, sometimes known as India's "Chicken Neck," is a major strategic position among them. With recent events in mind, its relevance in the region has increased to astronomical proportions.

Understanding the Chicken Neck

Before digging into the Siliguri corridor's significant significance, it is vital to become acquainted with its geography. First and foremost, it's worth noting that the Corridor is simply a speck of land. It is approximately 60 kilometres long and nearly 22 kilometres wide, with some sections of the corridor falling to 17 kilometres in length. The corridor is known as the 'chicken neck' because of its narrow similarity to the neck of a chicken. This fairly thin swath of land connects India and its north-eastern area, which includes seven states. It is also thought to be near numerous critical installations.

Geostrategic Importance of Siliguri Corridor

The Siliguri Corridor is surrounded by three countries: Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh. Meanwhile, despite the fact that India is a vast country, the Northeast is a little more tricky. Because of its frequently chaotic political scenarios and string of insurgency movements, the Northeast is primarily a turbulent region. As a result, the Siliguri Corridor is India's only connecting route to its unstable north-eastern area. The corridor is extremely important to India since it connects vital connectivity networks such as roadways and railway networks.

These networks are critical in connecting the northeast to India and supporting the armed personnel stationed there, which offers and will continue to give substantial security assurance in the face of future rising tensions and wars between India and China. China has experienced significant growth not only in terms of its economy, but also in terms of its soft and hard power implications. As a result, if China ever closes the corridor, the consequences for India will be disastrous. This will block the region from the rest of India and cut off supply lines and reinforcements to the area, making India vulnerable in the event of a conflict.

This will also end India's supervision of the region, paving the way for additional insurgency and separatist movements. As a result, the geostrategic and geopolitical significance of the Siliguri Corridor in terms of India is evident.

Recent Developments around the region

The two powers' competition for regional supremacy has recently heightened tensions and animosity. This has led in a sequence of back-and-forth between the two aspiring powers, which thankfully did not necessarily lead to an all-out violent conflict. However, the few conflicts in which both characters have been involved in recent years have transformed the entire dynamic. The first clash occurred in the Doklam plateau in 2017.

The construction of a road to extend it to the southeast, all the way to the Doka La pass, was the heart of the disagreement. There were allegations about the road's validity and infractions of the international boundaries. China and India were eventually compelled to resolve this through negotiations, with China halting road development.

This prompted India to intervene with soldiers, resulting in a nearly two-month standoff between the two countries, lasting from June 16 to August 28, 2017. However, the problem did not end there, as China continued to build military sites nearby and enhance its hard power footprint. According to multiple sources, China has continued to build at least 13 new military positions, including five permanent air defence positions, three air bases, and five heliports, in addition to other critical military constructions, to strengthen their military presence and strategic positions near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

However, this is not the only instance in which the two countries have clashed. Since the infamous Doklam standoff between these two nations, the two have been constantly engaged in hostilities. Things have taken a turn for the worse since May 5, 2020, when China objected to India's construction of footbridges, resulting in a fight between Indian and Chinese soldiers near the LAC. Physical brawls and stone-pelting erupted during this clash.

The dispute lasted a long period, beginning with Pangong Lake and progressing through Muguthang Valley in Sikkim to the most severe "fight" on June 20 in Galwan Valley. Despite both groups' refusal to use firearms, there were losses on both sides during this clash. So far, it can be argued that the main countries are determined to overtake each other in the Asian political dynamic, even if it means going to great lengths to protect their national interests in the region.

Turbulence and Regional Implications

China and India have both experienced turbulent tensions in recent years. What's more frightening is that these clashes, disputes, and standoffs have occurred despite treaties such as the Border Peace and Tranquillity Agreement (BPTA) of 1993, the Establishment of a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs in 2012, and a border defence cooperation agreement in 2013.

However, among the clashes in the Galwan valley and Doklam, the region's continued militarization and escalating tension surrounding Doklam is something that requires special attention. China has long posed a threat to the Siliguri Corridor, claiming 90,000 square kilometres of territory in India's northeast. Arunachal Pradesh, a primarily Buddhist Indian state, shares a 3488-kilometre border with China, which claims the territory as part of Tibet, which China invaded in 1951. Chumbi valley, a small section of Tibet, is located between Sikkim in India and Bhutan.

The Chinese presence in Arunachal Pradesh undoubtedly causes concern among India's defence establishment. The Siliguri Corridor connects India to neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan as well as Bangladesh to the south and west and China to the north. Given China's presence in Chumbi Valley and northern Doklam, the distance to the Siliguri corridor is so short that it's essentially within range of Chinese artillery.

The Chinese military can choke off Bhutan, West Bengal, and India's north-eastern states by moving only 130 kilometres. About 50 million people in northeast India will be cut off from the rest of the country. Assume the area is subjected to an active conflict involving weapons and tanks.

In that circumstance, instability in such a small area of land has the potential to destabilise the entire South Asian region. It may potentially spread to neighbouring nations, particularly Bangladesh. Although the harm begins on a modest scale, it will eventually have severe consequences for the entire region. The dispute could also lead to the compromise of national integrity in neighbouring states, posing serious dangers to their sovereignty. With China's ability to quickly mobilise near the area and India's unwillingness to relinquish its national integrity, the Siliguri border will remain an 'Achilles heel' in terms of regional stability.