Here's why Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma issued '2 Chicken Necks' warning to 'small country' Bangladesh

GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday delivered a stern warning to Bangladesh to keep its eyes off the Siliguri corridor, known as the ‘Chicken's Neck', connecting the northeast to the rest of India."No country should be under the impression that it can take over the Chicken's Neck. The world has seen India's military prowess during Operation Sindoor," he said in response to recent reports about a Dhaka-based Turkish Islamist group, ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla', displaying maps of ‘Greater Bangladesh' comprising India's several eastern states and northeastern region and Md Yunus's invitation to China in March to extend its economic influence to Bangladesh.Yunus, during his trip to China, had said the seven states, the eastern part of India, is a landlocked region and has no way to reach out to the ocean."They (Bangladesh) have two ‘Chicken Necks', India has one. If they attack ours, we will attack their two Chicken Necks," Sarma said.He referred to the small strip of land that connects the rest of Bangladesh to Chittagong Port but did not specify the second chicken neck, which is believed to be another corridor south of Rangpur division which neighbours Meghalaya.The land distance from Sabrum in south Tirpura to Mirsharai Upazila connecting Chittagong to the rest of Bangladesh is about 40 km while the distance from South West Garo Hils to Dakshin Dinajpur in West Bengal connecting Rangpur division to the rest of Bngladesh is about 90 km.The Siliguri corridor of Chicken's Neck is a narrow strip of land measuring around 22 km that connects the NE region with the rest of India."We talk about our ‘Chicken's Neck' so that we can get tunnels, other schemes from the central govt," said Himanta.He added that India's strength can be gauged from ‘Operation Sindoor' in which India struck terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. "Bangladesh doesn't deserve so much attention. It is a small country and cannot be compared with India," he added. On Wednesday, Himanta had dismissed a purported map, published by a few individuals in Bangladesh, claiming parts of the northeastern state as territories of the neighbouring country. He asserted that Bangladesh is a ‘small' country and does not deserve ‘so much attention' as it ‘cannot match' India in its prowess.On the greater Bangladesh map, Sarma said, "People can draw and publish such a map. We can also come out with a map showing Bangladesh as part of Assam. Even India and the US can be put together on a map. Just drawing up a map won't make it happen."He added that if ‘maulanas' (Muslim religious leaders) from Bangladesh have drawn such a map with Assam as part of their territory, ‘purohits' (priests) of India can also come out with a map including their Chittagong port in India.