Bengal On The Boil: Why Blocking Beldanga National Highway Linking Siliguri 'Chicken's Neck' A Big Security Threat?

New Delhi: Murshidabad’s Beldanga region in West Bengal has been paralysed by violent protests for the second day in a row over the killing of a migrant worker in Jharkhand.

On Saturday, demonstrators once again shut down National Highway-12 and obstructed railway lines, cutting off essential transport links between North and South Bengal.

The unrest initially began on Friday following the suspicious death of a migrant worker, Alauddin Sheikh, in Jharkhand. 

Public anger intensified on Saturday after fresh reports emerged alleging that another local worker, Anisur Sheikh, was brutally attacked in Bihar.

Mob on rampage

In response, mobs damaged railway infrastructure and clashed with police, who used baton charges to disperse the crowds. The ongoing agitation has left thousands of commuters stranded and raised serious concerns over the safety of Bengali-speaking labourers working in other states.

Crowds of local residents descended upon the highway at Beldanga’s Barua More, effectively freezing traffic on NH-12 and creating massive vehicle queues. The situation escalated as some protesters vandalised a railway gate and made attempts to halt train operations in the area.

The BJP has categorised this blockade as a major national security threat, claiming it highlights a total collapse of law and order while exposing the vulnerability of the Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's Neck) to planned internal disruptions.

Why is this NH important?

Murshidabad serves as the indispensable gateway for all traffic moving toward the Siliguri Corridor. The district is traversed by two integrated branches of National Highway-12 (formerly NH-34), both of which are the primary road arteries reaching Siliguri. 

The National Highway 12, which passes through Beldanga in Murshidabad, is a key lifeline that connects north and south Bengal, as well as the north-eastern part of the country.

The blockade of the highway leading to the "Chicken’s Neck" (the Siliguri Corridor) is a matter of grave national concern because this narrow strip of land is India's only terrestrial link to its eight Northeastern states.

The ongoing unrest in Beldanga (Murshidabad), where protesters have blocked National Highway-12 (NH-12) and railway tracks for two consecutive days highlights the extreme vulnerability of this region. Here's why this is a grave security threat.

1.The "Umbilical Cord" of the Northeast

The Siliguri Corridor is just 20 to 22 km wide at its narrowest point. If this specific highway (NH-12) or the parallel rail lines are blocked, 45 million people across states like Assam, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh are effectively cut off from the rest of India.

Every litter of fuel, grain of rice, and medical supply for the Northeast moves through this bottleneck. A prolonged blockade triggers immediate shortages and inflation across the entire region

2. Military & Strategic Vulnerability

The Indian Army considers the corridor its “jugular” vein. NH-12 and the associated rail network are the primary routes for moving heavy artillery, tanks, and reinforcements to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.

The corridor is flanked by Nepal, Bhutan, and a now-unstable Bangladesh.

3. National Security Threat

The current blockade in Beldanga isn't just a local law-and-order issue; it is a strategic chokepoint failure. 

Reports of protesters damaging a railway gate and signals at Beldanga station are particularly serious, as these are critical for the movement of high-speed military and passenger trains.

Security experts warn that if "miscreants" can easily snap this connection over local grievances, it proves how vulnerable the nation’s integrity is to targeted internal sabotage.

4. Impacts global exports

The blockade prevents tea from Assam and oil from Digboi from reaching the ports of Kolkata or Haldia, impacting India’s global exports.

By simultaneously obstructing both the dual-highway system and the rail network, protesters have effectively triggered a total collapse of mobility for North Bengal. 

It must be noted that the Saturday’s agitation comes on a day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended government programmes and addressed a public rally.

Also Read: Mobocracy Unleashed In Bengal: NH-12 Choked, Trains Tracks Blocked As Mobs Fuel Anarchy In Murshidad's Beldanga