Why BJP's Campaign In Bengal Focuses On Security Issues, Chicken's Neck

A common thread in the speeches of all top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, in West Bengal has been the focus on national security, infiltration and the strategically important Siliguri Corridor, also called the Chicken's Neck, in the north of the state. The messaging appears to have resonated with locals as well, for whom Infiltration from Bangladesh is emerging as an issue.

"Our Siliguri is one of the most important gateways for India's security. The Siliguri Corridor is integral to Mother India. I want to give you an example of the Trinamool Congress's misdeeds when it comes to the security of the nation. In the country, there is a tukde-tukde gang. This gang had issued a threat related to the Siliguri Corridor. They have spoken about separating the northeast from the country. To pursue its appeasement agenda, the Trinamool Congress supports such people on the streets and in Parliament," Prime Minister Modi said in his rally in Siliguri.

"For the BJP, the Siliguri Corridor is a corridor of national security and prosperity. And we are ensuring that this place is strengthened. The Sevoke Rangpo Railway link is an example of this. With this project, Sikkim is going to be connected to Siliguri and the country's railway network. Work is progressing on this at a fast pace. This project will improve connectivity and improve trade and tourism," the Prime Minister added.

The Siliguri Corridor, or the Chicken's Neck, is a sensitive area with respect to infiltration. Locals in the region complain about infiltration from Bangladesh, arguing that infiltrators exert a strain on the resources of the ecologically sensitive region, which is home to several transnational rivers. It is also strategically significant. Hence, the government wants to ensure the security of the region.

The BJP accuses the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal of delaying handing over land for the fencing of the border.

Former Foreign Secretary and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Harshvardhan Shringla told NDTV, "The Siliguri Corridor is a stretch of land that connects the Northeast of our country with the rest of India. It is a very narrow stretch of 22 kilometres. The Darjeeling Constituency is perhaps the only constituency in the world that has three international borders. It links up with Nepal in the west, Bhutan in the east, and Bangladesh in the south. If you go a little bit north, you will also come to the border with China. So it's a very sensitive part of our country, and there are very important security-related concerns here, which, given the strategic nature of the location, issues like security, infiltration of foreign nationals, the security-related concerns that are very evident here and are very important in the narrative that is evident in the elections."

"West Bengal, under the current Trinamool dispensation, has completely neglected the security aspects of its responsibilities. On the contrary, they've used it to further their political ends to the detriment of our national interest. So what is happening here is that there is infiltration through parts of the border that are not fenced. As you know, we have a 4,000-km border with Bangladesh, which is our largest border with any other country. A quarter of this border is not yet fenced, and that is mainly in the state of West Bengal. And the reason for that is that the state has refused to give land, which is necessary for the construction of that fence. Land allocation has not been done, and one of the resolves of the BJP in their manifesto is that within 45 days of coming to power in West Bengal, they will provide the land, and fencing will begin in West Bengal. In other words, we have to fence off the border to ensure that infiltration is not happening," he added. 

Shringla also accused the Trinamool of bringing in people who tend to vote for the Trinamool Congress and said that the Trinamool has strong support in these communities. He alleged that infiltrators were being given Aadhaar cards in border districts.

The BJP wants to turn the local sentiment in its favour over the infiltration issue.

The Trinamool says that securing the border is the responsibility of the Union government, and the BJP was blaming the state for hiding its failure to curb infiltration.

BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, said West Bengal is in danger, and his party wants to secure the state.

"Today, West Bengal is in danger. We want security in West Bengal. We want to progress in West Bengal...We have to think big. Today, it is not just West Bengal. Because of Mamata Didi, the country is in danger," he said.

"If you see Darjeeling and North Bengal, after the British left, there has been no development. Institutes have either shut down or they have shifted to Kolkata. But today, because of the Government of India, union government programmes worth Rs 60,000 crore are being implemented here. We are building an elevated four-lane corridor from Siliguri to Sevoke, which is 80% complete. Bagdogra Airport is getting a new terminal for Rs 3,000 crore," he added.

Bista said the Centre has provided funds to the region's municipalities and revived Cinchona plantations, which will help the BJP in the West Bengal Assembly election.

The Trinamool has dismissed these claims, saying the party's government also focused on the development of the North Bengal region.

Bista, however, admitted that the names of some genuine voters were deleted in the S.I.R process.

"Why has the S.I.R become an issue here? It is because Mamata Banerjee did not want the names of infiltrators to be deleted. Because of the delay, some genuine voters' names have been deleted, and we have told everyone that by filling in Form 6, their names can be included again. In Bengal, there were 30 lakh bogus voters. Ghosts were voting here. Infiltrators' names have been deleted, and this will have a negative impact on her," he added.