India is the world’s largest democracy, and along with the US, the two nations are global symbols of liberal democracies – countries where the practice of torture would ordinarily be expected to be anathema. How does torture become acceptable within the political framework of a democracy where people are ruled by their consent? Is it a paradox, an aberration? Is it a standard by which to measure the strength of a democracy?

A new book called Transnational Torture: Law, Violence, and State Power in the United States and India by political science professor Jinee Lokaneeta explores these questions in great detail. Uprising host Sonali Kolhatkar spoke with Lokaneeta in October 2011.

Watch a video of the interview here:

Martina Steiner recorded this interview.