During his lecture at Cambridge University, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi highlighted the need for new thinking to promote a democratic environment globally. He spoke on the topic of "the Art of Listening" and emphasized the decline in manufacturing in democratic countries like India and the US in recent years, as production shifted to China. He stated that this shift has resulted in mass inequality and anger, which needs urgent attention and dialogue. Gandhi added that we need new thinking on how to produce in a democratic environment compared to a coercive environment, and negotiation is necessary.
The lecture, which was delivered to MBA students at Cambridge JBS, focused on the importance of people around the world finding a way to listen compassionately to new concerns in the 21st century, which has been transformed by the shift of production away from democratic countries. Gandhi explained that "the art of listening" can be very powerful when done consistently and diligently. The lecture was divided into three key strands, starting with an outline of the Bharat Jodo Yatra, about a 4,000-km walk Gandhi led through 12 states from September 2022 to January 2023 to draw attention to "prejudice, unemployment, and growing inequality in India".
Overall, Gandhi's lecture at Cambridge University highlighted the need for new thinking and emphasized the importance of listening and negotiation to address issues related to mass inequality and anger resulting from the shift of production away from democratic countries.