Open AccessDeath by Poisoning: Cautionary Narratives and Inter-Ethnic Accusations in Contemporary Sikkim
Author(s) -
Kikee Doma Bhutia
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of ethnology and folkloristics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.12
H-Index - 2
eISSN - 2228-0987
pISSN - 1736-6518
DOI - 10.2478/jef-2021-0005
Subject(s) - ethnic group , narrative , buddhism , hinduism , subject (documents) , ethnic violence , ethnic community , criminology , population , gender studies , history , geography , political science , sociology , anthropology , religious studies , demography , literature , archaeology , art , philosophy , library science , computer science
The Sikkimese are a multi-ethnic community in a Himalayan sub-region in India. Even though the majority of the population is Hindu and Nepalese, the minority Buddhist and Bhutia/Lepcha communities are very strong. Death by poisoning is a common occurrence among the Sikkimese, and it is often ambiguous and subject to suspicion. Narrated initially as traditional cautionary tales, these belief narratives have been used against the multi-ethnic communities that reside in Sikkim, leading to real-world accusations. The article explores how belief in, and narratives related to, poison, poisoning, poison keepers and the poison deity are used to justify the demonisation and othering of a community.