Siliguri Corridor
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The Siliguri Corridor or Chicken's Neck or is a narrow stretch of land which connects India's north-eastern states to the rest of India. This strip of land is only 21 to 40 km in width, with the countries of Nepal and Bangladesh lying on either side of the corridor.
The city of Siliguri, which lies in the state of West Bengal, is the major city in this area. The city is the central node which connects Bhutan, Nepal, north-east India and mainland India.
The Siliguri Corridor was created in 1947 after the state of Bengal was partitioned between the Republic of India and Pakistan's former state of East Bengal, now independent Bangladesh. This strip was drawn on the map to allow India access to the state of Assam.[citation needed] Being 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. In recent times the area has become the focus of illegal crossings between Bangladesh rebels and Nepali Maoist insurgents, both in search of refuge from their countrymen[citation needed]. A flourishing narcotics and weapons traffic also takes place in this region.[1]
All land transportation between the rest of India and its far eastern states have to make use of this circuitous corridor as free trade between Bangladesh and India has yet to be made a reality. The route has a major broad gauge railway line in addition to the old metre gauge line which connects the north-eastern states with the rest of India. National Highway 31 connects Siliguri to Guwahati in Assam which is the most critical highway in the region, owing to the insurgents in the vicinity.[citation needed]
In the 2002, India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh studied a proposal which would set a free trade zone in the area which would enable all four countries to connect directly with each other without restrictions.[2]
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Siliguri corridor 'vulnerable', warns security expert." DNA. 22 July 2007. Accessed 30 May 2008.
- ^ "Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India to set up FTA." Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry News & News. July–August 2002. Accessed 30 May 2008.
