In a significant development Union Minister Amit Shah on Friday emphasized the importance of Siliguri corridor in Darjeeling district of North Bengal calling it “very important” insofar as it connected the North East to the rest of the country.

“Siliguri corridor is very important. It connects the Northeast states, and SSB’s alertness helps us to protect the region,” the Home Minister speaking at the 61st Raising Day celebrations of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) in Siliguri said lauding the role of the paramilitary group in safeguarding the India borders with friendly nations like Nepal and Bhutan and its contribution to combating Naxalism in Bihar and Jharkhand.

Saying that SSB’s pivotal role had helped counter the naxalite menace Shah said that “Bihar and Jharkhand are now free from the Naxal movement because of the efforts of SSB.”

Shah’s presence at Siliguri corridor and his statement assumes importance in the backdrop of worsening situation in Bangladesh since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sk Hasina from power in that country.

Also called Chicken’s Neck the Siliguri corridor is thus called because it is a narrow stretch of land of about 60 kilometres in length and almost 22 kilometres in width --- even tapering to 17 kilometres in certain places --- skirted on two sides by Nepal and Bangladesh.

Saying that SSB’s role in preventing illegal border activities had been commendable Shah said a time had come when there was a need of high degree of alertness along the border to deal with

the trans-border anti-social elements. “The time has come to find the anti-social elements who are illegally using open fencing,” along the international border he said. Earlier, paying tribute to the brave soldiers of the force Shah in a post on X, wrote “on the foundation day of the Sashastra Seema Bal, I pay my tribute to all the immortal martyrs of the Force and extend my best wishes on the Foundation Day to all the personnel and their families.”