India-Bangladesh: Mohammad Yunus, the chief advisor to the interim government of Bangladesh, has created a controversy by making a statement on India’s Chicken Neck Corridor i.e. Siliguri Corridor. During the recent visit to China, Younus claimed that, ‘The northeastern states of India are surrounded by a site. Therefore, Bangladesh is the only protector of the Indian Ocean for the northeastern states of India. After Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, now External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed Younus about economic and geopolitical developments.
In this regard, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said, ‘India is well aware of its responsibility in the Bay Bay of Bengal multi-regional technical and economic cooperation initiative (BIMSTEC). In addition, the longest coastline of the Bay of Bengal is about 6,500 km, which makes it the longest coastline in the country.
Sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Thailand
Addressing the sixth Bismtech Summit in Thailand, the Foreign Minister said, “We have a longest coastline of about 6500 km in the Bay of Bengal. Our northeast region is emerging as a connectivity center for BIMSTEC with innumerable networks of roads, railways, waterways, grids and pipelines.
Talking further about this, S Jaishankar said, ‘The construction of the tripartite highway will connect the Northeast of India to the Pacific Ocean, which is a game-changer. We know that our cooperation and convenience is an essential condition for goods, services and people in this huge geography. Considering this geo-intelligence factor, we have increased our energy and attention to strengthen BIMSTEC in the last decade.
What did Muhammad Yunus say about India’s chicken neck corridor?
Muhammad Yunus appealed to increase investment in Bangladesh during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During this time, he made a statement about the northeastern states of India, which is being seen as an anti -India intent.
Yunus said, ‘Seven states located in the eastern part of India, called Seven Sisters, are surrounded by land from all sides. They have no way to reach the sea. Bangladesh is the only sea patron in this region. This statement not only comments on India’s geographical location but also indirectly tries to challenge the importance of chicken neck corridor.
Why is chicken neck important?
Chicken neck, also known as the Siliguri Corridor, is a strategic and geographical area for India. It is a narrow strip of land located in West Bengal, which connects seven northeastern states (Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura) and Sikkim to the rest of India.
This corridor is the only site contact for Northeast India. If it is cut, the northeastern states with a population of about 5 crore can be separated from India.
Chicken neck supplies essential commodities to the northeastern states. This area is also important for business such as Darjeeling tea and wood. It helps in promoting India’s ‘Act East Policy’, which is a strategy to strengthen the association with countries in South-East Asia.
The post is India’s largest coastline in the Bay of Bengal: Jayashankar’s reply to Yunus first appeared on News India Live | Breaking India News, The Indian Headline, India Express News, Fast India News.
