Overview

• In a new op-ed, Suhag A. Shukla argues Indian Americans participate in U.S. politics as citizens and should not be expected to advance any Indian government's agenda.
• Her piece responds to Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who recently criticized the diaspora for a muted response to U.S. policies perceived as adverse to India.
• Shukla says the community can add nuance to U.S. debates on India within American law, distancing herself from the idea of serving as a mouthpiece for New Delhi.
• Citing U.S. Department of Justice disclosures, she highlights asymmetries in Washington influence, noting Pakistan’s roughly $600,000 monthly lobbying spend versus about $275,000 for India, with broader influence efforts attributed to China.
• She warns that California’s SB509, now awaiting Governor Gavin Newsom’s decision, could threaten immigrant civil rights through broad definitions of transnational repression and foreign agents.