India, June 4 -- In geopolitics, geography can be destiny. Few places illustrate this better than the Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as India's "Chicken's Neck." This slender 22-kilometre-wide strip of land is India's only physical link connecting the mainland to its eight northeastern states, including strategically vital Sikkim. Sandwiched delicately between Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh, it represents both a critical artery and a profound vulnerability for India's territorial integrity and national security.
The corridor's significance is easy to grasp when considering raw numbers alone. Disrupting this corridor would instantly sever connectivity to over 45 million Indian citizens. It would isolate an enormous geographical region,...