Deepening and Spreading Suspicion: On the accusation of 'cunning' observed among Protestants in the Kathmandu Valley

TLDR: The negative connotation of the word calákh is frequently used by those who belong to the lower castes to accuse the natures of the two major groups of the high castes in the Nepalese caste system, the Brahman, colloquially called the Bahun and the Chettri as discussed by the authors.

Abstract: Introduction The Nepali word calākh1, in English ‘clever, astute’, could be used as a compliment to praise someone else’s ability to think quickly. Nowadays, however, it is rare to hear the word being used in such a positive manner in the Kathmandu Valley. Instead, since calākh can also be translated with the English word ‘cunning’, it is typically used to refer to those who cunningly deceive others for their own benefit. This negative connotation of the word calākh is frequently used by those who belong to the lower castes to accuse the natures of the two major groups of the high castes in the Nepalese caste system, the Brahman, colloquially called the Bahun2, and the Chettri. According to folk narratives and stories, especially those among Janajatis, the indigenous people of the lower caste (e.g. Caplan 1970, Holmberg 1989, Tachibana 2009), these groups have traditionally been considered as cunning in various areas across Nepal. Today, it is the negative connotation of the word calākh that is most frequently used to refer to and accuse their character in the Kathmandu Valley. While some ethnographers, such as Parish (1996) and Tachibana (2009), have made reference to the word in their respective works, they have not paid much attention to its negative meaning. Thus, in this article, I shall consider the accusation of calākh. It should be noted that the word calākh is not the only word which