Sadhguru flagged the Siliguri Corridor’s narrow width as a strategic vulnerability and a historic mistake left uncorrected after 1971.
Using the “chicken to elephant” metaphor, he urged India to invest whatever is necessary to strengthen the corridor
His remarks came amid controversial statements from Bangladeshi leaders who said that the seven sisters (the Northeast states) could be separated from India.
Spiritual leader Sadhguru, in a recent video, spoke about the strategic importance of the Siliguri Corridor, popularly known as the “Chicken’s Neck,” which links India’s northeast to the rest of the country. Speaking at a satsang in Bengaluru on Sunday, December 28, 2025, he said the narrow strip of land, which is about 22 km wide at its broadest point, is a long-standing vulnerability that should be addressed urgently.
During a public gathering, someone asked him about comments made by Bangladesh’s interim government regarding the possibility of cutting off the Siliguri Corridor. Sadhguru called the corridor a 78-year-old mistake that Bharat failed to correct in 1971, the year India achieved a decisive military victory in the Bangladesh Liberation War. He said "Siliguri Corridor is a 78-year-old anomaly created by Bharat's partition, which should have been corrected in 1971. Now that there is an open threat to the nation's sovereignty, it is time to nourish the chicken and allow it to evolve into an elephant."
He pointed to missed opportunities after 1971, noting, "Maybe in 1946-47 we didn’t have the authority to do that, but in '72 we had the authority, we did not do that. Now this Chicken’s Neck, that people have started talking about, it’s time we nourish this chicken… so that it evolves quickly into an elephant."
Highlighting the need for strong measures to secure India’s territorial integrity, Sadhguru stressed that the region needs to be strengthened. "So nations cannot be made just by being chicken. It has to grow into an elephant. Maybe it needs nourishment. Maybe it needs some steroids. Whatever is needed, we must do… but anything that we try to do has costs, has a price to pay always."
The spiritual leader also put the issue in a global perspective, saying it would have been wonderful if the world were one undivided place, with no nations and no borders—a single beautiful planet rather than a cut birthday cake. However, he said this is not the current reality, adding that “we cannot imagine that tomorrow we’re going to embrace everybody and live wonderfully.” He said, “That is foolish thinking right now.”
Sadhguru further reiterated the need for correction, saying, "Some correction is needed. Correction must happen. I think we need to feed the chicken well and make it into an elephant. An elephant’s neck would be easy to handle."
The remarks came in response to recent statements by some Bangladeshi leaders invoking the Chicken’s Neck and suggesting it could be cut off from India. This triggered strong reactions in India, with many people condemning the statements.
Sadhguru has previously voiced concern over developments in Bangladesh, particularly attacks on Hindu minorities, destruction of temples, and demographic pressures forcing minorities to flee. He has questioned the prolonged silence over such issues, arguing that these problems cannot be dismissed.
The ongoing concerns have also sparked public activism. On December 26, 2025, amid protests against atrocities faced by minorities in Bangladesh, BJP workers held a torchlight rally in Siliguri, citing incidents including the deaths of Hindu individuals and cases of people being set on fire. The Siliguri Corridor, given its narrow width and proximity to both Bangladesh and China, remains a critical point for India’s national security and territorial integrity.
[VP]
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