West Bengal Governor Mr R.N.Ravi has said, “the open India-Bangladesh border is endangering national security. The Chicken Neck Corridor, which connects the Northeast to the rest of the country needs to be fortified, he added. While talking to media after arriving at Bagdogra to attend Narad Samman Samaroh (renowned journalist felicitation) at Siliguri today, he said this.
He further added that a sensitive section of the India-Bangladesh border is posing a threat to national security due to years of unfenced security. He also pointed out that the Chicken Neck Corridor, which connects the Northeast to the rest of the country, has become vulnerable due to demographic changes.
The Governor being the Chief Guest to attend the Narada Samman Event organised by the Vishwa Samvad Kendra, North Bengal. He explained that approximately 300 kilometers of the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal remain unfenced because the previous Trinamool Congress state government did not cede land to the central government.
This area covers sensitive districts like Murshidabad, Malda, and Nadia. He stated that despite the High Court order, the TMC government did not hand over the land to the Border Security Force (BSF). “The TMC government never said it would not hand over the land, but it was delaying the process under one pretext or another.
The Central Government had already released the money for the land, but the TMC government sat on the files,” he added. He also clarified that while the central government is responsible for securing the international border, the land belongs to the state government. Therefore, the central government cannot force any state government to hand over land.
The TMC government also did not allow the BSF to set up camps and cantonments in the area, leaving the 300-kilometer international border severely vulnerable for years, posing a threat to national security. It is noteworthy that soon after assuming power in West Bengal, the BJP government decided to hand over land to the BSF for fencing. Now, the BSF will also be able to set up camps along the international border.
Regarding the situation in the Chicken Neck Corridor, the Governor acknowledged that the area has become vulnerable due to population shifts. Furthermore, the population of the four districts of Bihar near the Chicken Neck has also changed rapidly. “The Northeast is connected through the Chicken Neck, and any unrest in this area could cut off the entire region from the rest of the country.
As such, the change in population patterns in the area is a real concern,” he said. However, Ravi also said that the central government has deployed adequate troops in the area to prevent any untoward incident.
