About Chicken’s Neck Corridor:
- ‘Chicken’s Neck’, also known as the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow strip of land in West Bengal that connects India's northeastern states to the rest of the country.
- The corridor is situated in the northern part of West Bengal, spanning approximately 22 kilometres at its narrowest point.
- It is flanked by Nepal to the west, Bhutan to the north, and Bangladesh to the south.
- It links the North-eastern Region (NER), comprising eight states—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—to mainland India.
- Significance of Siliguri Corridor:
- It is a strategically significant and geopolitically sensitive region.
- It is vital for the movement of military personnel, goods, and supplies.
- Any blockade or threat to this corridor could disrupt connectivity to India's northeast.
- The region is close to the India-China border, particularly the Chumbi Valley in Tibet, where China has built significant military infrastructure.
- In case of conflict, China could potentially cut off India's access to its northeastern states by targeting this corridor.
