Are Our Borders Ready for the Hybrid Threats Looming Over the Siliguri Lifeline?

Northeast India, frequently characterized as the gateway to Southeast Asia for the country, is at a crossroads. With changing political equations in neighboring Myanmar, Bangladesh, and Nepal, panellists at the Pratidin Conclave 2025 cautioned that India's northeastern borders are increasingly beset with complex security and strategic issues—issues transcending traditional military threats.

Lt. Gen. (Retd) Rana Pratap Kalita, a retired army commander, mapped out the Northeast's special vulnerabilities and how cascading effects of changes in the region affect India's security and development.

Porous Borders and Growing Complexities

"Northeast borders are strategically important," Kalita asserted, pointing to the fact that the region is bounded by international frontiers of five nations while depending on a narrow link to the balance of India: the 22-kilometre-wide Siliguri Corridor. The slender strip, often referred to as India's "chicken's neck," is traversed by more than 11 lakh vehicles every day and brings in around ₹142 crore worth of revenue per day—a lifeline for the entire region.

Kalita pointed out that long-standing problems—permeable borders, unsettled territorial conflicts, and ethnic insurgencies—are nowadays augmented by regional instability. Regime changes in Bangladesh, political instability in Myanmar, and Nepal's changing political environment have added fresh security pressures, especially during increasing fundamentalism and demographic changes.

"The Siliguri Corridor is very sensitive. Any hybrid threats, short of direct military intervention, may upset this vital link to the Northeast," he cautioned.

Strategic Footprints: China, Pakistan, and Regional Rivalries

The former army general indicated the enhanced role of China and Pakistan in the region as a concern of strategy. Chinese development initiatives are increasingly visible in regions surrounding the Siliguri Corridor—Rangpur division of northern Bangladesh and eastern Nepal's Kosi Mechi corridor—increasing the possibility of encirclement in case of geopolitical tensions.

Kalita also raised the issue of the involvement of top Pakistani officials in Bangladesh, as well as patronage by extremist organizations like Jammat-e-Islami and Ansarul Bangla Team (JNB). "This nexus of these external players and domestic political changes is not in India's favor and needs to be closely watched all the time," he added.

The Development-Security Nexus

In spite of all these dangers, Kalita stressed that security is not enough to sustain the Northeast. "Development and security go hand in hand. Peace along the borders and internally is mandatory for socio-economic growth," he added. The government's initiatives to enhance infrastructure in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh—roads, railways, mobile coverage, and dynamic border village programs—are a demonstration of this twin compulsion.

Kalita added that other routes such as the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) via Myanmar, or Chittagong port through Bangladesh, are still pending political stability in the two nations. "While connectivity projects tend to diminish dependence on the Siliguri Corridor, regional instability presently has put their potential in holdback," he said.

Lessons from History, Preparing for the Future

Looking back at past confrontations, such as the Doklam crisis in 2017 and the Galwan clash of 2020, Kalita emphasized that India has progressed substantially in terms of infrastructure development and war preparedness. "It's not 1962 anymore. The Sindoor kind of operations have shown the prowess of our armed forces. But we cannot rest on our laurels; threats are changing constantly," he explained.

Kalita's analysis highlights an important truth: the Northeast is more than a distant borderland—it is a critical nexus where security, development, and geopolitics converge. With increasing external presence and internal socio-political stresses, India's strategic response needs to be integrated, blending hard security with economic growth and diplomatic outreach in its neighbourhood.

The Northeast's future rests on a precarious balance: protecting borders, defusing ethnic tensions, and investing in infrastructure, all while at the same time involving neighboring countries in pragmatic, stable, and cooperative terms. The Siliguri Corridor, narrow as it is, is characteristic of this challenge—a lifeline reflecting both opportunity and vulnerability.

Also Read: Pratidin Conclave 2025: Experts Decode Northeast’s Strategic Future Amid Shifting Borders