India set to rethink BCIM connectivity

Follows current standoff between army, PLA 

China’s move to build a road close to the Siliguri Corridor of India may now prompt New Delhi to rethink on a proposed connectivity initiative pushed by the communist country.

New Delhi is likely to give a relook at the security implications of the proposed Bangladesh-India-China-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor in the wake of the current face-off between the soldiers of the Indian Army and Chinese People’s Liberation Army in western Bhutan.

The road that the Chinese PLA is keen to build in Doklam Plateau on the disputed Sino-Bhutan border will give China a strategic advantage against India in a possible military conflict in future.

The plateau overlooks the Chumbi Valley, which is not far from the Siliguri Corridor – the narrow stretch of land that connects India’s northeastern region with the rest of the country. The control over the area will make it easier for the PLA to conduct military manoeuvres aimed at blocking the Siliguri Corridor and cut off the northeastern region from mainland India.

The Indian Army stopped PLA personnel from constructing the road, resulting in a face-off, which has been continuing for the past 20 days.

Sources told DH that China’s latest move to build the road so close to the Siliguri Corridor had once again underlined the vulnerability of the northeastern states of India.

The BCIM corridor is also proposed to pass through India’s northeastern region to establish economic linkages among Bangladesh, Myanmar and China.

New Delhi has since long been cagey about the economic corridor proposed by Beijing. India’s reservation stems from anticipation that the BCIM corridor project would expose its northeastern region – a theatre of many secessionist insurgencies and ethnic conflicts – and its eastern frontier to the growing influence of China.