Podcast Series with Khasi Literary Figure Kong Bijoya Sawian: Episode 2

Hi Everyone,

We hope you enjoyed the first episode of our talk with Kong Bijoya Sawian. I am thinking of splitting our podcasts into shorter digestible episodes so everyone is able to consume the extensive information. In episode 2, we pick up where we left off last time -

on the changing dynamics of Khasi society.

In this second and concluding part, Kong Bijoya continues her discussion of the evolution of women’s roles in rural vs. urban areas, and how these roles are being re-evaluated in rural communities. In addition, she shares anecdotes from her life to address the importance of both women and men in the Khasi household and why gender, interestingly, is not as big of an issue in Khasi society, due to its matrilineal roots. Kong Bijoya further discusses what it was like to grow up in a Khasi household and touches on the sacred relationship that Khasis have with nature as well as the culture’s deep respect for the earth and its conservation. She highlights the importance of etiquette and truth, which are core to every Khasi household and represents some of the most important foundational elements of Khasi society. In her concluding remarks, Kong Bijoya discusses what prompted her to write her first book, Shadow Men, which is an engaging classic novel that touches on how instability has impacted the fabric of everyday life in a place that was once peaceful, untroubled, and calm. We encourage you to explore some of Kong Bijoya’s works. For those of you who are interested in her work or want to learn more about the Khasi tribe, please check out the links in both the blog and podcast sections of our website.

For our next podcast, I am thinking of bringing an inside perspective on the Cherokee culture in North America. The Cherokee are the largest Native American tribe and Indian nation in the United States, with over 390,000 tribal members. They are indigenous to the Southeastern Woodlands and their inhabited lands today encompass northeastern Alabama, northern Georgia, parts of western South Carolina, southeastern Tennessee, and southwestern North Carolina.

I look forward to sharing more on this in my next blog!

Gabby