The Northeast is not exotic — it’s Bharat. A panel explores the Sanatani roots of Khasi and Nishi traditions under threat of erasure.
Moderated by a scholar who has spent years in Northeast India, this panel brings together Hamar Singh (representing the Khasi community and Niyam Khasi faith of Meghalaya) and Maya (from Arunachal Pradesh’s Nishi community) to articulate the indigenous spiritual traditions of the region. The moderator opens with a provocation: that most Indians know more about Western Europe than about states sharing their own country’s borders. The conversation explores Niyam Khasi as a natural religion, the extraordinary linguistic diversity of the region (18 major languages in Arunachal alone), and the double threat these traditions face — missionary conversion on one side, development-without-culture on the other.
About the Speakers:
Hammarsingh L Kharhmar is the President of Ka Tbian Ki Sur Hara, a Seng Khasi performing arts school, and also serves as the Cultural Secretary of Seng Khasi. Hailing from Shillong, India, Kharhmar began his musical journey on the guitar before relocating to Boston, where he founded the New Wave group Mon Khmer. In 2008, he joined Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond Jr.’s solo band. Kharhmar is working with a different Stroke: Julian Casablancas, who is releasing Kharhmar’s first solo EP (under the pseudonym Exhibition), on his Cult Records label.
Maya Murtem is a Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) with the Department of Women & Child Development in Arunachal Pradesh. She serves as the General Secretary of IFCSAP and is an active social and indigenous rights activist. A student of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, she blends spirituality with her advocacy for community welfare and empowerment.
Pankaj Saxena is an author focused on Hindu temples, Indian art, literature, history, and culture. Formerly, he worked at the Centre for Indic Studies, Indus University. He also served as Director of the Centre for Cultural Leadership at Rashtram School of Public Leadership. Currently, he is the Co-founder and Director of Culture Research.
