December 13, 2023
What do assassination plots reveal about India’s geopolitical rise?
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.
More from CNAS
-
Regional and Global Responses to a Taiwan Contingency
Reports
A contingency across the Taiwan Strait has the potential to reshape the Indo-Pacific and even global security environment. This report explores how states beyond the United St...
By Jacob Stokes, Kareen Hart, Ryan Claffey & Thomas Corel
-
What Is Voice of America and Why Trump Is Dismantling the Broadcaster
Video
For the better part of a century, Voice of America has broadcast into countries whose governments censored free information. The Trump administration has dismantled VOA's pare...
By Lisa Curtis
-
Democracy in South Asia amid U.S. Aid Cuts
Reports
The practice of democratic governance and the increased number of people across the world participating in national elections are positive trends that will help ensure governm...
By Lisa Curtis, Kareen Hart & Keerthi Martyn
-
Lessons from the U.S.-China Trade War
Podcast
America and China have agreed to a 90-day truce of their month-long trade war, but the economic uncertainty has not yet ended. Beyond tariffs, the spat had begun spilling over...
By Edward Fishman
