A passage or a corridor is that geographical entity which represents a connection between two or more places. In international relations, a corridor becomes significant not merely because of the places it links but also because of the relative location where it is situated. Hence corridors demand and deserve a lot more attention than just those places that it attempts to unite. However, very often instead of focussing on the significance of the corridor, value is given to those two or more regions which are linked with the help of the former.
The relative location of a corridor determines its socio-political vulnerability. When sandwiched between two foreign lands it eventually becomes a threat for the country’s mainland. The Siliguri Corridor in the North Eastern Region (NER) of India best exemplifies this geospatial entity. . It is a narrow strip of land situated in North Bengal which connects North East India to rest of the country. The width of the corridor is just about 13 to 25 miles and it is squeezed between two of India’s neighbours, namely, Nepal and Bangladesh. Commonly known as the Chicken’s Neck (because of its shape), the corridor itself is a geographical deformity. It is often referred to as the “cartographic relic of the British decolonisation process”. In trying to maintain the contiguity between Bengal and Assam after partition, the British demarcated the borders in such a manner that even today it is difficult to communicate between North East India and the rest of the country. The Corridor now has a population of about 50 million people. This dense population is often attributed to incoming migrants.
This unnatural barrier and distance has created a communication gap, both physical as well as psychological, between citizens of North East India and rest of India which is popularly known as the mainland. The psychological distance is so predominant that there is a belief among the people of the North East that they are not considered to be part of Indian culture and tradition, even though it lies within Indian Territory. This gap is naturally aggravated because of the physiological features of the people of the North East. Problems occur when this very difference becomes a tool at the hand of dissident forces trying to inculcate anti-national feelings for building tensions among the citizens. The similarity of the people of North East India with neighbouring East and South East Asians is a matter of concern for Indian authorities. This natural affinity of the people across borders is nourished by India’s giant neighbour China. China’s effort at creating differences among the people is not viewed casually. Fear looms large among some about whether China might be able to sever this part of India from the rest. This may sound weird at the first instance. Most would believe that it is not possible for any country to divide India now when developments in the fields of science and technology have taken the country far and wide. India has also achieved a lot in terms of defence technology, spending around Rs. 2,24,000 crore for it in the budget session 2014-2015.
However, it is necessary to analyse the problems that occur in the Siliguri Corridor. It is because of all this and much more that the corridor must be given special consideration under India’s security policies. A country as diverse as India is not only vulnerable at the hands of neighbours like China, but also from smaller South Asian neighbours like Bangladesh, Nepaland Myanmar from where migrants and Maoists (economic as well as politically forced) keep coming to the country illegally. Although very few people within India believe that migrants are or can be a threat to the country, some strategic analysts clearly state that Bangladeshi migrants coming into Indian Territory illegally are a matter of concern for the Indian authorities. They are spread all over the country from West Bengal to Delhi, Mumbai and even Kerala. The problem with undocumented migration has been greatly felt in the North East, especially in Assam. During the recent Kokrajhar crisis which began in 2012, the Government of India decided on some immediate steps that had to be taken for Indian security reasons. One of them would be to grant the residents of this corridor a special identity card, apart from the usual ration cards or voter’s identity cards. This would supposedly help distinguish between insiders and outsiders, if any. A large number of migrants have come to this region and are now staying here as permanent residents. It needs to be seen whether the new idea of having a Unique Identification Number ( which is already being given a defunct status) for every Citizen of India help in any manner to screen out the illegal migrants. The first thing that is required is to detect those who come into the Indian Territory illegally. It becomes pertinent to mention why undocumented migration is often believed to be a detriment for a region’s overall development. However even more important than this is to acknowledge the fact that such migrations occur between India and Bangladesh. Governments in either country are reluctant to admit that people have been moving from across the border.
The Siliguri Corridor is now home to many such migrants, who have come into Indian Territory by bribing the Border Security Force or through agents who are able to traffic people and cattle across borders. These migrants then pay an amount to these agents for acquiring citizenship or ration cards. Thus they begin their lives as common citizens of the country who opt for cheap labour at the initial phases. Some even opt for higher ranking jobs like teaching. The region is also used as a gateway to Nepal and South East Asian countries which are well known for drug menace. The Golden Triangle lies on that front which has two of Asia’s Opium producing regions. Along with drug trafficking, human trafficking is also another threat which Governments at the local and central levels have to deal with. Anti-national activities also take place in regions which are not under the scanner of Government authorities for their geographical locations. All these illicit activities may hamper not only the national security of the country but most crucially the human security of those living in and around that region. Just as a passage is used by a whole group of people travelling from one part of the place to another linking it, it is also necessary to keep an eye or curb all kinds of movements within that place. Police outposts are especially necessary to check incoming and outgoing vehicles. The region is manned by the Indian Army, Border Security Forces, Assam Rifles as well as West Bengal Police. Sharing international boundaries with a lot of countries, India needs to be even more dedicated towards ensuring security at the border areas. Trust needs to be inculcated in the minds of the people of the North East that it is not just during connectivity conferences between India and the South East Asian countries, that the former would remember the NER. It is the people and their culture that India aims to provide security for. India needs to have a National Policy for migrants in the country so that not all migrants are looked upon with an eye of suspicion. Not all migrants are terrorists or anti-nationals. They are often used as pawns by home grown terrorist groups within the Indian landscape. It is a fact that most migrants coming to India are forced migrants, in need of support. What creates problems is when these migrants come in as undocumented migrants and take advantage of the Indian system. It must also be remembered that the religion of the migrants should not be made an issue between countries. Forced migrants should be treated only as migrants and not as Hindu migrants or Muslim migrants. This distinction may often lead to differential treatment from the host countries. It is in fact religious fundamentalism which forced people to move out of Bangladesh into India.
India’s territorial integrity shall be threatened if the Siliguri Corridor is threatened by powers like China. Although India has strong international allies, human security of the people in that region can be best dealt with from within India.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are personal.
Maitrayee Guha, Senior Research Fellow (UGC) in the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University, Kolkata.
