Eckankar or ECKANKAR is a new religious movement founded in the United States in 1965. It focuses on spiritual exercises enabling practitioners to experience what its followers call "the Light and Sound of God." The personal experience of this spiritual Light and Sound is a primary goal of the teaching. It claims to provide a personal, unique and individual spiritual inner path to understanding of self as soul, and development of higher awareness "consciousness" and God.

According to the Eckankar glossary, the term Eckankar means "Co-Worker with God". "Eckankar" derives from Ekankār or Ik Oankār (Sanskrit Eka Omkāra), a name for God given by Guru Nānak and the very first word of the Mūl Mantra (recited everyday by Sikhs), the Japjī Sahib, and the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (Sikh holy scriptures). Since 1985 followers of Eckankar have described it as "The Religion of the Light and Sound of God". Prior to 1985, Eckankar was known as "The Ancient Science of Soul Travel," "The Science of Total Awareness," and "A Way of Life".

Karsh Kale (pronounced Kursh Kah-lay) is an Indian American musician, producer and composer, and is considered one of the pioneering figures in defining the Asian Underground genre by mixing disparate genres of music such as Indian classical and folk with electronica, rock, pop and ambient music. In addition to production, remixing, and DJ work, Kale is known for his tabla drumming and film composition.

Born as Utkarsha Kale on November 1, 1974 to Indian immigrants in West Bromwich, England, Kale was raised in Brooklyn, New York after his parents relocated in 1977. Kale took an interest in drums and eventually became a tabla player. Kale's father introduced Kale to a broad range of music, which included traditional Indian music, classical, rock, and even early hip-hop. From this broad range of influences, Kale, who was self-taught, developed his own style, which eventually led to his "electric tabla".

In 2000, Bill Laswell founded Tabla Beat Science, inviting Kale, along with Zakir Hussain, Talvin Singh, Trilok Gurtu and Sultan Khan. Together, the group released Tala Matrix that year. The album is considered to be one of the influential Asian Fusion albums to date, and the group embarked on a tour, of which one of the shows was later released on DVD.

Prafulla Kumar Mahanta (born 1954) was the leader of the Assam Movement, a former Chief Minister of Assam (two terms) and is the President of the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a major political party in the Indian state of Assam. He became the chief minister when the AGP came to power in 1985.

He served as the chief minister of the state for two terms, (1985–1990) and (1996–2001). He is a former president of the All Assam Students Union, a student organization that spearheaded the Assam Movement between 1979 and 1985. In August 2005, his membership in the AGP was terminated and he floated a new political party, Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive), on September 15, 2005.

Despite allegations levelled against him specially on the secret killings as pointed by the Saikia Commission, his need in the Asom Gana Parishad was largely felt before the Indian general election, 2009 to fill the lacuna of leadership. He was re-inducted into the AGP after the AGP (Progressive) was dissolved during the Presidentship of Chandra Mohon Patowary. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has again become an integral part of the party.