India Must Strengthen Siliguri Link Amid Rising Diplomatic Tensions Says Sadhguru

In Shorts

• Spiritual leader Sadhguru says the Siliguri Corridor should be strengthened to secure India’s northeast connectivity.
• He described the 78-year-old narrow land link as a geopolitical anomaly from Partition.
• Sadhguru’s comments come amid recent provocative statements attributed to Bangladeshi leaders.

BENGALURU/NEW DELHI India’s strategic vulnerability at the Siliguri Corridor has been thrust into the spotlight following comments by spiritual teacher Sadhguru, who urged the nation to reinforce the slender land link connecting the mainland to the northeastern states.

Often dubbed the “Chicken’s Neck,” the Siliguri Corridor is a slender stretch of territory in West Bengal barely 22 kilometres wide that serves as India’s sole overland connection to its seven northeastern states. Sadhguru described this narrow passage as a legacy of the 1947 Partition that should have been corrected in the aftermath of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War.

Speaking to an audience in Bengaluru, Sadhguru said India could no longer afford to ignore potential threats to its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Using a striking metaphor, he suggested the country must “nourish” the chicken and allow it to grow into an elephant, emphasising the need to strengthen this critical corridor.

His remarks followed provocative statements by some Bangladeshi figures implying that India’s northeastern access through the corridor could be contested. While such remarks have drawn sharp responses from various quarters, Sadhguru stressed that the debate has made an unavoidable strategic vulnerability more visible and should galvanise action.

The spiritual leader acknowledged that any move to bolster the Siliguri link would carry economic, political and diplomatic costs. He also framed the discussion within broader geopolitical realities, cautioning against unrealistic idealism about open borders while underscoring the importance of maintaining strong national sovereignty.

This heightened focus on the corridor comes amid ongoing discussions around regional security and connectivity, with experts regularly pointing to its vital role in trade, defence logistics and civil mobilisation. As India grapples with external pressures and evolving diplomatic landscapes, voices like Sadhguru’s are adding urgency to conversations about long-term strategic resilience.