Political Instability in South Asia Drives Stricter Surveillance in the Sikkim Himalayas
In 2023, the Government of Sikkim formed a committee to assess the feasibility of implementing the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the state. The committee visited Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, and Meghalaya to study the broader operational nuances of the ILP system, and later submitted its report to the Government of Sikkim. Political instability in Nepal and Bangladesh subsequently gave fresh momentum to these demands. At the same time, civil society groups in Sikkim actively mobilised the national security narrative under the larger cloud of regional instability to advocate for the implementation of the ILP.
Between 2024 and 2026, Nepal and Bangladesh experienced significant political turbulence as waves of youth-led protests challenged incumbent governments. In both, Nepal and Bangladesh, these movements achieved notable success, with protesters asserting their demands and unseating ruling leaderships. This political instability in neighbouring countries has produced policy repercussions in India, particularly in regions bordering Nepal and Bangladesh, including Sikkim. In response, state institutions, political actors and civil society groups in Sikkim have renewed debates around the ILP, population influx and demographic changes, and the need for enhanced state surveillance in the region.
Mobility and Surveillance in a Strategic Frontier
Sikkim shares a land border with Nepal and lies in close geographical proximity to Bangladesh, separated only by the strategically significant “chicken’s neck corridor.” Sikkim also maintains strong cultural ties with Nepal through sustained cross-border cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Bangladesh, meanwhile, contributes significantly to foreign tourist arrivals in Sikkim. More importantly, Sikkim’s strategic location places developments in its surrounding region firmly within India’s broader national security framework.
These shared cultural affinities and the open land border with Nepal are often perceived as factors that facilitate increased cross-border movement into Sikkim, which, in turn, could affect the security of both the state and the wider region. Similarly, policymakers and public discourse frame the state’s proximity to northern Bangladesh as enabling relatively easier access for Bangladeshi nationals, bringing both economic benefits through the tourism sector and concerns over alleged anti-India activities.
The framing of migrants as a factor that undermines national security is not new, particularly in Northeast India. In Assam, political actors and public discourse have, over a considerable period, sustained negative narratives around migration and its perceived implications for national security.
The Sikkim Police has similarly declared that state’s proximity to politically unstable regions, combined with its status as a border state, could make it a potential refuge for criminal, anti-social, and anti-India elements emerging from regional turmoil. Authorities have invoked these concerns to justify and strengthen stricter surveillance mechanisms within the state.
Further, state civil society actors have employed the national security and border security narratives to call for stronger measures to regulate migration and ensure stricter surveillance by implementing policies like the ILP in the state. These demands have emerged against the backdrop of Sikkim’s declining birth rate and growing anxieties over the perceived risks of demographic change drawing on indicators such as the state’s notably low Total Fertility Rate (TFR)—among the lowest globally and the lowest across Indian states.
Legislative Measures for Surveillance and Security
It is against this backdrop that the government of Sikkim has moved to enforce the long-dormant Sikkim Tenants and Domestic and Professional Helps (Compulsory Verification) Act, 2008. Although the Act had been in place for more than a decade, authorities had rarely implemented it with seriousness. This change as explained by the Director General of Police of Sikkim relates to fears surrounding illegal influx and the possibility of criminal activities linked to broader national security concerns. As a result, the law now mandates compulsory verification for all non-local tenants, domestic workers, and professional help entering Sikkim for residence or employment.
The Sikkim Labour (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2021, and the Inter-State Migrant Workmen Act, 1979 are being similarly enforced. These Acts have been used for surveillance through creation of databases to document and track the inflow of migrant workers into the state.
These legislative measures and their stricter implementation comes in addition to other laws which allows for a measures to curb the entry of foreigners and those from other parts of India. The Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order of 1958 puts the whole of Sikkim as a protected area or as a restricted area while the Foreigners (Restricted Area) Order of 1963 requires foreigners to obtain a Restricted Area Permit (RAP) to visit Sikkim.
Conclusion
Political instability in Nepal and Bangladesh is reshaping security narratives in Sikkim and prompting the state to enforce stricter surveillance measures. These developments reflect a broader regional security complex, where patterns of security and insecurity remain deeply interconnected across borders. Increased surveillance, implemented through various legal frameworks, also affect the mobility of both local residents and non-locals—mobility that was already constrained by Sikkim’s status as a border state. Consequently, these restrictions risk adversely impacting the state’s economy, which relies heavily on the tourism and construction sectors. Increased surveillance and securitisation also push narratives of ‘insiders’ and ‘outsiders’ creating further divisions within the community.
About the Author: Dr. Sangay Lachenpa serves as Guest Faculty at the Department of International Relations, Sikkim University. He was a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar University, Delhi-NCR in the year 2025. He also He can be reached at [email protected].