The second edition of The Huddle, a two-day thought conclave of The Hindu that debuted in Bengaluru in 2017, was inaugurated in the city on Saturday.
In his welcome address to an invited audience at the ITC Gardenia hotel, Mukund Padmanabhan, Editor of The Hindu described The Huddle as a platform for an exchange of ideas in a congenial and constructive way.
He said the event was not curated to posit one extreme view against another, to stir up flaming arguments or to stage debates as if they were a kind of intellectual bloodsport.
“The Huddle is organised so that both speakers and the audience have the opportunity to embrace new ideas, listen to diverse views, re-examine presuppositions and review biases. We hope to do this in the spirit of The Huddle which is the spirit of togetherness,” Mr. Padmanabhan added.
R. Ravichander, Regional Director, South, Yes Bank, the title sponsor the conclave, said it was all the more relevant today, as the India story had become a global buzzword.
R. Ravichander, Regional Director, South, Yes Bank, the title sponsor of the two-day thought conclave of The Hindu , which got under way here on Saturday, said the event was important as the country was experiencing a period of socio-economic and cultural renaissance, a rapid transformation of old benchmarks and practices with new paradigms of success.
Terming the media “a repository of collective wisdom and a tool for nation building”, he commended The Hindu Group for consistently contributing to the nation’s growth by putting out accurate information and balanced views.
“ The Hindu has a long and rich intellectual legacy and has always provided a platform for constructive discussion and exchange of ideas on matters of national importance,” he said. Yes Bank, he said, saw itself as a “knowledge-driven bank” and this is also why the Bank gives such importance to such thought conclaves.
The conclave showcases speakers such as former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, two former RBI Governors, and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.
