December 13, 2023

What do assassination plots reveal about India’s geopolitical rise?

By: Lisa Curtis


A US criminal indictment recently revealed an alleged plot connected to the Indian government to carry out multiple assassinations in North America. The indictment accuses Indian national Nikhil Gupta of attempting to arrange a killing in New York, linked to a case that strained Canada-India relations. The targets included Sikh separatist activists, sparking concerns about potential implications for India’s Sikh minority and prompting high-level inquiries from the Indian government.

The alleged assassination plots have raised complex questions about India’s role in geopolitics, its commitment to democratic principles, and the delicate balance it maintains in its international relationships, particularly with the United States.

In today’s Expert Series, Lisa Curtis, Senior Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at CNAS, and Sumit Ganguly, Rabindranath Tagore Chair in Indian Cultures and Civilizations at Indiana University, joined us to discuss these recent assassination allegations and their consequences for U.S-India relations, India’s standing in geopolitics, Indian foreign policy, and Indo-Pacific security.

Curtis emphasizes the need for India to address democracy and rule of law concerns, while Dr. Ganguly discusses India’s perspectives on the Khalistan movement, the potential impact of Canadian and US allegations on India’s global standing, and the delicate balancing act in its geopolitical partnerships.

Listen to the full episode and more from the CDA Institute.

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