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
-
Sharper: India and the Quad
Commentary
Despite recent bilateral challenges, India’s relationship with the United States and its leadership within the Quad remains indispensable for an Indo-Pacific that is cooperati...
By Keerthi Martyn & Charles Horn
-
America’s Self-Loathing Is a Losing Hand
Commentary
This article was originally published in The Washington Post.Around 10 years ago, the United States began a historic shift in its grand strategy toward China, abandoning the b...
By David Feith
-
How China Could Use U.S. Farmland to Attack America
Video
Chinese entities have been acquiring land in key locations near U.S. military bases, sparking national security concerns about possible spying — or even a potential attack. Fo...
By David Feith
-
Japan’s Iron Lady: A Prime Minister for the Trump Era?
Commentary
This article was originally published in The Diplomat. A protégé of Abe Shinzo, newly elected Liberal Democratic Party President Takaichi Sanae inherits her mentor’s approach...
By Ryan Claffey
