Rahul Gandhi, the former president of the Indian National Congress, is set to visit the United Kingdom later this month to deliver a lecture at the prestigious Cambridge University. The announcement of his visit has created a buzz among the Indian community in the UK, as well as political observers and academics.
The lecture, titled “Building a Stronger India: Opportunities and Challenges,” is scheduled to take place on February 23 at the Cambridge Union, the university’s debating society. The event is being organized by the Cambridge South Asia Forum and the Cambridge University India Society, in association with the Cambridge Judge Business School.
In a tweet, the Cambridge Judge Business School said it was delighted to welcome back Gandhi to the Cambridge University later this month. The school had previously hosted Gandhi in 2017, when he had delivered a lecture on “India At 70: Reflections On The Path Forward.”
“Looking forward to visiting my alma mater Cambridge University and delivering a lecture at @CambridgeJBS,” Gandhi tweeted.
Gandhi, who has been a member of parliament since 2004, is seen as a leading voice of the opposition in India. He served as the president of the Indian National Congress, one of India’s oldest and most prominent political parties, from 2017 to 2019. During his tenure, he had tried to revamp the party’s organizational structure and appeal to a younger generation of voters.
However, the Congress suffered a major setback in the 2019 general elections, winning just 52 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament. Gandhi himself lost his own seat in the party’s traditional stronghold of Amethi, in Uttar Pradesh.
Since then, Gandhi has been critical of the policies of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly on issues such as the economy, social harmony, and human rights. He has been a vocal advocate for the rights of farmers and workers, and has called for greater accountability and transparency in the government’s decision-making processes.
Gandhi’s visit to the UK is being seen as an opportunity for him to engage with the Indian diaspora and present his vision for the future of India. It is also being viewed as a chance for him to reach out to the global academic community and present his views on India’s economic and political challenges.
The event is expected to draw a large audience, including academics, students, and members of the Indian community in the UK. It will also be closely watched by political observers in India, who will be keen to see what Gandhi has to say about the current state of Indian politics and his plans for the future.
Rahul Gandhi’s visit to the UK later this month is a significant event for the Indian community in the UK, as well as for political observers and academics. It presents an opportunity for Gandhi to engage with a wider audience and present his views on the challenges facing India. The event is likely to generate a lot of interest and debate, both in the UK and in India, and could potentially shape the future course of Indian politics.
From February 24 to 26, Gandhi will be attending the Congress’ 85th plenary session in Raipur in Chhattisgarh, where the party will brainstorm its strategy for the 2024 general elections and will deliberate on several internal matters.
