Security review of Siliguri Corridor

Union Home Minister Amit Shah directed all agencies concerned to increase their presence in the Siliguri Corridor by establishing more institutions, keeping the area free of encroachments, and taking all steps to stop illegal immigration, according to a statement from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The directive came during a review of the security of the corridor, a 60 km long and 22 km wide stretch colloquially called the "Chicken's Neck" that connects India's eight north-eastern states with the rest of the country.

Shah also urged the West Bengal government to strengthen the institution of Civil Defence and Home Guards in the corridor, which he described as strategically important. The corridor wedges between Bangladesh to the south and west, Tibet (China) to the north, and links India to neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

"The Home Minister directed all agencies present to increase their footprints in the corridor by establishing more of their institutions. He also reviewed the security of all vital installations on the corridor and directed that all necessary steps be taken to secure them. He further directed to keep Siliguri Corridor free of encroachments. He underscored the need to take all steps to stop illegal immigration in the Siliguri Corridor," the MHA statement said.

The meeting was attended by West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police of West Bengal, and senior officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Army, Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Railway Protection Force (RPF). During the review, Shah discussed issues related to Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) activities, demographic changes, illegal immigration, and border affairs, as reported by ANI and The Hindu Business Line.

The Multi Agency Centre's (MAC) Standing Focus Group on Siliguri Corridor made a presentation about the progress made so far and its recommendations towards further strengthening the security of the corridor. Shah stressed the quadrangular approach to border security and directed all agencies to implement it in full spirit, and also directed the completion of pending infrastructural works in a time-bound manner.

Shah suggested to Chief Minister Adhikari to explore possibilities of opening more Sainik schools in North Bengal and asked him to work towards increasing the number of senior NCC cadets in the region, according to reports from ANI and The Hindu Business Line.

The meeting was part of Shah's two-day visit to Siliguri aimed at enhancing coordination among security forces and agencies engaged in border management and security preparedness.

Upcoming three-day visit

The Times of India reported that Shah will begin a three-day visit to Siliguri on Thursday, focusing on the strategic Siliguri Corridor, border-security reviews, and SSB projects. The visit comes against the backdrop of Siliguri's location near international borders with Nepal and Bhutan; the SSB guards both frontiers, making the region vital to border-security operations.

According to the report, Shah will arrive at Bagdogra airport from Chennai on Thursday evening and stay overnight at New Chumta near Sukna. On August 21, he will visit the SSB frontier headquarters in Siliguri between 11:45 am and 1 pm to attend foundation-laying ceremonies for various projects, followed by a "bara khana" with personnel. He will then attend a public meeting on the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita at Kawakhali ground between 3 pm and 4:30 pm before returning to Sukna for two review meetings. On August 22, the final day of his tour, Shah will hold two meetings and depart for New Delhi from Bagdogra airport at 2 pm by an IAF aircraft.

The tour comes barely a month after Shah's July visit, when he inspected surveillance technologies at Jhumagachh outpost, laid the foundation for BSF projects worth about Rs 77 crore, and said the Centre's "smart borders" security grid would first be rolled out in Bengal, as reported by The Times of India.

Regional political dimension

The visit also carries political significance for the Darjeeling hills. Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) general secretary Roshan Giri told The Times of India that the outfit would seek an appointment with the home minister to raise regional issues and press for a permanent political solution (PPS). "We will seek to meet the minister, push for PPS and demand that GTA be scrapped," Giri said. GJM has recently pushed for a solution through dialogue involving the Centre and the state government.