Prospects and Perils of Indian Military Adventure via the Siliguri Corridor

Reading Time: 3 minutes The recent remarks by Indian Army Major (Retired) Gaurav Arya regarding the hypothetical “expansion of the Chicken’s Neck” – a colloquial term for the Siliguri Corridor – have sparked significant debate among regional defence observers. Retired officers of the Bangladesh Army, including former Majors, have expressed concern that such statements reflect a broader Indian strategic mindset which may contemplate adventurism in the region under specific political or operational circumstances. Their assessment, however, underscores a sober military reality: that any incursion into Bangladeshi territory, particularly through such a geographically constrained axis, would result in severe operational liabilities for India and possibly provoke a broader conflict across the North Eastern theatre. The Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck”, is a narrow land bridge approximately 22 to 25 kilometres wide at its narrowest point. It connects India’s heartland to its North Eastern states and is flanked by