That is … The Chumbi Valley is that part of Tibet that lies between Sikkim and Bhutan and is proximate to the Siliguri Corridor. This piece of land is about 60 km in length but a meagre 22 km in width at its narrowest point. While it may sound bit revolutionary but like Ladakh, Siliguri Corridor needs to be reorganised into UT. The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken's Neck, is a narrow stretch of land of about 22 kilometres (14 mi) 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. 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. The fact that Bhutan lies to the east of the northern limits of the Siliguri corridor creates a dicey situation for India. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (Photo: PTI) ... Pakyong airport is located nearby the strategic Chumbi Valley in Tibet, the Siliguri Corridor …and Doklam. The Kingdom of Bhutan lies on the northern side of the corridor. Strategically, it is the Achilles heel in the defence of almost 2,000 km of borders in the NE states with China and Myanmar. 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. The Siliguri corridor, a narrow passage to India’s eight north-eastern (NE) states, is a perennial threat to our security. Marcus Franda, "Bangladesh, The First Decades", South Asian Publishers Pvt. 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. Aren't you guys meant to come to the rescue and aid of india in case if war against China or anyone else? international events from experts at the Lowy Institute and The Siliguri Corridor is in a highly disadvantageous position in geo-strategic and security terms due to its peculiar geographical features. What is the width of siliguri corridor or chickens neck. So what exactly happened in 1971, you tell me. India has embarked on a slew of projects, such as construction of India-China Border Roads and Advance Landing Ground (AGLs), Northeastern India connectivity and Look-East transnational connectivity projects to create multiple alternatives to Silliguri corridor, including through Bangladesh and sea, to mitigate the risk of being cut off. The Siliguri Corridor in north-eastern India poses a major defence challenge. ... Pipavav Defence Systems, … 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 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. The Siliguri Corridor, with these road and village constructions, has become closer for China through occupied Tibet and now Bhutan. This situation arose during the war between India and China in 1962.[4]. The city of Siliguri, in the state of West Bengal, is the major settlement in this area and the central node that connects Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sikkim, Darjeeling hills, Northeast India and the rest of India. events, published daily by the I'm surprised you guys are not supporting india here? This threatens India strategically with the AH2 road, now barely 70km at Siliguri’s eastern bypass or at Jalpaiguri bridges. The Kingdom of Sikkim formerly lay on the northern side of the corridor, until its merging with India in 1975. 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. By an advance of just 130 kilometres, the Chinese military could cut off Bhutan, west Bengal and the north-eastern states of India. The result was the Doklam Standoff between India and China in 2017. Doklam (in Standard Bhutanese), Zhoglam (in Standard Tibetan), or Donglang (pinyin, Chinese: 洞朗), is an area with a plateau and a valley, lying between China's Chumbi Valley to the north, Bhutan's Ha Valley to the east and India's Sikkim state's Nathang Valley to the west. Find link is a tool written by Edward Betts.. searching for April 1975 549 found (4859 total) alternate case: april 1975 South Vietnam (7,233 words) exact match in snippet view article find links to article conventional invasion in 1975. 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. With such a twist, China could change the entire status quo along the LAC and put India under even greater pressure. Electrification of this double-track corridor is in progress with assistance from Central Organization for Railway Electrification (CORE). China, which already claims 90,000 square kilometres of territory in India’s north-east, has been a perennial threat to the Siliguri Corridor. It’s no less important for Bhutan either, representing a main supply route into the country. 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. 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. Wedged between Bangladesh to the south and the west and China to the north, the Siliguri Corridor also links India to neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan. U are in no position to take sides nor ur ilkes run the show. The North Bengal Frontier BSF is headquartered at Kadamtala, while one of the five Frontier Headquarters of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) is located in Siliguri. For India, any Chinese move to encroach further south in the Doklam plateau region would place it perilously close to the narrow and potentially vulnerable Siliguri corridor, the narrow sliver of land which links 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. In 2003, in exchange for recognition of China’s sovereignty over Tibet, China agreed to give up all claims to the state of Sikkim in India. The PLA is reportedly patrolling in India’s north-eastern states, including Arunachal Pradesh, posing a threat to India at perhaps its most vulnerable point, even amid escalating tensions on the China-India border in the Himalayas. Such is the influence of India in NEpal, Bhutan and BD. This narrow passage makes defence a serious challenge. expert commentary on the latest international New satellite imagery supports the claim that not only is the People’s Liberation Army holding ground in Galwan Valley, but has also shored up its positions in the area. It has complicated demography with just 20 odd km width and is the only terrestrial link to seven states of NE, Sikkim and Bhutan. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. The Kingdom of Sikkim formerly lay on the northern … “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”. Communist forces overran Saigon on 30 April 1975, marking the end of the Republic of Vietnam.On 2 July 1976, the Provisional Lowy Institute, Lachung, in India’s Sikkim state, near the border of Tibet (Getty Images). [5], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}26°35′N 88°15′E / 26.583°N 88.250°E / 26.583; 88.250, For the "Chicken's Neck" between northern India and Pakistan, see. This thin stretch of land-- also referred to as “Chicken’s Neck”, is extremely Read what actually happened in 1971 in Bangladesh Defense Forum pinned site. 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 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. Sky Map, China’s authority on digital maps, has issued an updated version of its official map in which China includes parts of Arunachal Pradesh within its international boundaries. The Siliguri Corridor is an especially important and sensitive territory for India, formed by the creation of East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in 1948. What happened in the Galwan Valley and Ladakh on 15 June has received much attention, but what India needs to worry about is saving its Chicken’s Neck from China. 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. [3] Between Sikkim and Bhutan lies the Chumbi Valley, a dagger-like slice of Tibetan territory. Both countries need to psychologically prepare for a “new” world of rising powers and those in relative decline. The Siliguri Corridor was created in 1947 after the partition of Bengal. around the world. Yet it was the Indian military that liberated you. The route has a major broad gauge railway line. 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. 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. Strategically, the Siliguri corridor is the Achilles heel in the defence of almost 2000 kilometres of borders with China and Myanmar. The Chinese presence in Arunachal Pradesh certainly stirs the anxiety of India's defence establishment. Strategically, the Siliguri Corridor is precisely the point where China could hit in case of escalating conflict between the two Asian giants. Published 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. For its part, the Indian army has also also declared it is fully prepared to respond to any provocation by China along the LAC. 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. Lowy Institute. 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. Siliguri Corridor. Stay informed with the latest commentary and analysis on However, the proposal is still in the initial stages of negotiation. Strategically, the Siliguri corridor is the Achilles heel in the defence of almost 2000 kilometres of borders with China and Myanmar. Published daily by the 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. 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. 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. The Kingdom of Bhutan lies on the northern side of the corridor. Indians liberated or looted Bangladesh is the question, which you still continue to do. The Corridor is also called as the Chicken’s Neck. Even BNP now is playing to India's tunes. 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. About 50 million people in north-east India would be separated from the country. The Siliguri Corridor is a gateway to Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and north east India. National Highway 10 connects Siliguri to Guwahati in Assam, which is the most critical highway in the region, owing to insurgents operating in the vicinity. It is in the Chumbi Valley, therefore, that the defence of the strategically critical corridor lies. 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. It was formally included in India in 1938, when the McMahon Line was established as the border between India and Tibet. It has been depicted as part of Bhutan in the Bhutanese maps since 1961, but it is also claimed by China. The formation of East Bengal created a geographical barrier to the northeastern part of India. That's a nice way to console yourself. Compounding matters is their much-touted collusion, manifesting in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). It borders four countries and has seen Gorkhaland and Kamatapur separatist movements. The China-India border has actually three sections: the western sector between Ladakh and the Chinese-held Aksai Chin, the central sector and the eastern sector dividing Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh states from Tibet. The use of Bhutanese territory for the defence of the corridor will attract Chinese punitive action against Bhutan. The Doklam area is on the tri-junction of India, China and Bhutan. The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & 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. 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." 15 Jul 2020 11:30, In beef over barley, Chinese economic coercion cuts against the grain, Decolonise Diego Garcia: Why America should not fear Mauritius, India-Australia strategic convergence … with differences, Migration and border policy links: UK Supreme Court ruling, FIFA foul, India visa reform and more, Indian migrants in Australia find political voice. Wedged between Bangladesh to the south and west and China to the north, the region has no access to the sea closer than Kolkata, on the other side of the corridor. (Col Vinayak Bhat (Retd) is a consultant for India Today. [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. The Siliguri Corridor is strategically important and highly sensitive territory, as it remains the only bridge between the eight north-eastern states of India and the rest of the country. Between Sikkim in India and Bhutan lies Chumbi valley, a small part of Tibet. 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