Seattle University Launches Podcast On Indian American Civic Issues

India-West Staff Reporter

SEATTLE, WA- Seattle University’s Roundglass India Center has introduced a new video podcast series that explores key political, social and civic questions within the Indian American community.

Titled ‘The Hyphen: Indian-American Dialogues’, the series builds on the Center’s earlier ‘Desi Roots & Routes’ podcast and turns attention to contemporary debates around U.S.–India relations, diaspora politics and transnational civic life.

The opening episode, ‘Should Indian Americans Lobby the U.S. Government on Behalf of India?’, examines a recent debate sparked by Indian MP Shashi Tharoor, who criticized Indian Americans for not lobbying the U.S. government more assertively in support of India.

In it, host Sital Kalantry, founding director of the Roundglass India Center, speaks with Kapil Sharma, senior lead of the Roundglass Foundation’s Global India Collective. Drawing on his experience working on U.S.–India relations in government and on Capitol Hill, Sharma argues that Indian American engagement “cannot follow a single-lobby model” and said advocacy must be “inclusive, bipartisan and grounded in U.S. domestic priorities.”

The discussion also compares Indian American political advocacy to the Jewish American lobby, noting distinctions in demographics, history, civic infrastructure and internal cohesion.

The launch of ‘The Hyphen’ expands the Center’s podcast catalogue, which includes ‘Desi Roots & Routes’, a series that recently received a 2025 Bronze Signal Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.