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North-East India – Security and Developmental Issues

Army sets up three new garrisons near the Siliguri Corridor

India MappingPrelims Only | Security Issues | Mains Paper 3: External State & Non-State Actors: Challenges To Internal Security.

Why in the News?

India has set up three new Army garrisons at Dhubri, Kishanganj, and Chopra to secure the vulnerable eastern frontier and protect the Siliguri Corridor amid instability in Bangladesh and rising Chinese activity.

Army sets up three new garrisons near the Siliguri Corridor

About Siliguri Corridor:

  • Overview: A narrow land strip connecting mainland India to the Northeast, popularly called the Chicken Neck due to its thin, vulnerable shape.
  • Dimensions: Roughly 60 km long and 17–22 km wide, making it one of India’s most strategically sensitive corridors.
  • Location: Lies in northern West Bengal, bordered by Nepal (west), Bangladesh (south), Bhutan (north), with China’s Chumbi Valley close to the tri-junction.
  • Link to Northeast: The only land route for supplying all eight northeastern states, carrying road, rail, fuel, food and military logistics (except limited Bangladesh transit routes).
  • Strategic Sensitivity: Its narrowness and proximity to the India–China–Bhutan tri-junction make it a potential chokepoint in conflict scenarios.
  • Military Importance: Acts as the primary logistical artery for moving Indian Army troops and equipment toward Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, especially during LAC tensions.
  • Security Challenges: Surrounded by multiple international borders, making it prone to illegal immigration, smuggling, cross-border crime, and potential external military pressure.
  • Economic Significance: Key route for trade with Nepal and Bhutan, and supports tourism to Darjeeling, Sikkim and Bhutan.

About the New Eastern Garrison Deployments:

  • Purpose: Developed to address rising security risks due to political changes in Bangladesh, demographic pressures along the border, and China’s increasing activity near the tri-junction.
  • Locations:
    1. Lachit Borphukan Military Station, Dhubri (Assam)
    2. Forward base, Kishanganj (Bihar)
    3. Forward base, Chopra (West Bengal)
  • Operational Role: Enables continuous surveillance, rapid troop movement, and strengthens defence preparedness across the India–Bangladesh frontier.
  • Local Support: Assam facilitated quick setup of the Dhubri station, named after Ahom general Lachit Borphukan, symbolising regional identity and military determination.

Drivers Behind the Reinforcement:

  • Regime Change in Bangladesh: Expected shifts in border behaviour, cross-border movement, and potential security spillovers.
  • Illegal Immigration Concerns: Union Home Ministry has flagged demographic changes in border districts linked to cross-border inflow.
  • China’s Expanding Influence:
    • Accelerated LAC military build-up in Arunachal Pradesh.
    • Growing ties with Pakistan and Bangladesh, including a trilateral meet in Kunming, raising regional security concerns.
  • Regional Military Activity: India has conducted major exercises like Poorvi Prachand Prahar and IAF flying displays in Assam to signal operational readiness.
  • Pakistan–Bangladesh Engagements: Recent visit of a Pakistan Navy ship to Chattogram (first since 1971) has added a fresh strategic dimension to India’s eastern security planning.

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