491
There is an English maxim , " Touch not, taste
not, eat not, drink not, that intoxicates the bruin."
This maxim of a negative character does not
mean except that anything almost all intoxicants
are generally harmful to the consumer. A glance
at the condition of the people of India can suffi-
ciently prove what effect the excessive use of these
drugs have produced on the people of India.
The following is a translation of a Sanskrit Sloka
on bhang :—A donkey while grazing went near
the hemp plant and as soon as he smelt he with-
drew, whereupon the hemp plant said : " O donkey
the god Shiva eats me, how is it that thou dost
not like to eat me ? " " When a sane person," re-
plied the donkey, " takes thee, he behaves like a
donkey; to what a miserable condition shall I
be reduced, who am already a donkey."
It is manifest that when the Sanskrit scholars
have so strongly condemned (the use of ) bhang,
what could have been their idea about the drugs
prepared from it, which are more intoxicating and
also more injurious !
The only answer as to how the consumption of
these drugs has affected the financial condition of
the people of India is this : " To give gold and to
buy headaches." The consumers disregarding
their daily necessaries of life spend their earnings
in procuring these drugs.
The habit of consuming these drugs is formed
by associating ( with the consumers ). The igno-
rant, labourers, fakirs, sahds, common shopkeepers,
artizans, purbias and professional musicians are
now largely taking to these drugs and becoming
useless members of society, thereby spreading idle-
ness and famine (sic). They cannot understand
for themselves the evils resulting from the use of
these drugs, nor can they be checked except by the
strong hand of law, that is, by Government inter-
ference. The consumers hold aloof from the re-
formed and civilized societies. Moreover, the sons
of ignorant sahukars of India, who are left or-
phans at an early age or who are not properly
educated, but are brought up with tenderness,
contract the bad habit by associating with the
vicious and thus squander their wealth and bring
discredit to the names of their forefathers.
The effect of charas-smoking is the same as
that resulting from bhang-drinking. The con-
sumer, while under the influence of any of these
drugs, is unable to do his work, nor can he exer-
cise his brain. As long as the intoxication lasts,
he wishes to sit idle and feed himself. To him
the whole world, houses, bazaars, trees, in short,
anything and everything appears to be going
round. He sings, weeps and sighs, and cannot
devote his time to anything religions or secular.
There are more thieves, robbers and pick-pockets
among consumers of these drugs than among other
classes of people. A greater portion of crimes falls
to their lot. As the use of these drugs incapacitates
the consumers for transacting business and
managing secular affairs, they have then recourse
to nothing except gambling, theft and robbery.
Bhang, the mother of these drugs, is represent-
ed by fakirs as a medicine for divine communion.
It certainly incites to crimes and other acts of
wickedness and not to devotion. It is indeed very
difficult for the consumers, who are unable to
understand even commonplace things (while under
the influence of these drugs), to read a book. It
is still more difficult for them to understand it.
To expect consumers of charas, ganja and bhang
to commune with God, who has neither form nor
figure, and who is only conceivable by persons pure
of hearts, is the greatest absurdity.
Space is not sufficient for the list of diseases
produced by the use of these drugs. Several
lives are suddenly lost, and cases of insanity occur
through ganja and charas smoking. It is mani-
fest from every-day experience that the consump-
tion of these drugs produces convulsion, impotency
insanity, headache, bronchitis, asthma, epilepsy
and eye-diseases, such as cataract, etc. It is mani-
fest from the report of the North-Western Provin-
ces on the lunatic asylums that out of 260 insanes
admitted into to asylums, 200 cases of insanity
were due to charas-smoking. (The numbers are
given from memory.)
The use of these drugs makes the consumers
shameless and impudent members of society, as is
evidenced by the sons of Sahukars who through
ignorance get addicted to the practice of gambling
and charas-smoking and turn out Suthra shahis
(an order of beggars).
On behalf of the Arya Samaj of Hoshiarpur,
I express my gratitude to British Government for
its paternal love in appointing this Commission
for the benefit of the ignorant masses, and hope
that the Commission will soon propose some mea-
sure for forcing prohibition.
I am prepared to appear as witness in support
of my views.
76. Evidence of BABU P. C. CHATTERJI, Pleader, Chief Court, Lahore.
1. Have known many people who habitually
use these drugs, and have thus learnt something
about their habits and their modes of preparation
of these drugs.
2. I have used bhang for medicinal purposes
three or four times in my life.
3. In the hilly and submontane districts of
Northern Punjab. Last summer I saw it grow-
ing in abundance in the Kashmir Valley along
the banks of the Jhelum and other natural
streams.
4. The leaves are called siddhi and bhang in
Bengal. Bhang, thandai, and sabzi in the North-
Western Provinces and the Punjab. I believe
Muharnmadan bhang-takers call it buti.
5. I cannot say. It certainly requires plenty
of moisture.
vol. v.
7. I have no personal knowledge of its cultiva-
tion. It must be very rare in the Punjab.
8. I cannot say.
9. I have no personal knowledge.
10. So far as I know, there are no regular cul-
tivators in the Punjab who grow hemp. Its cul-
tivation is confined to people who habitually use
its preparations.
11 and 12. I do not know.
13. I have hardly any information on these
points. So far as I know, ganja is never pre-
pared in this province.
14. So far as I know, ganja and charas are not
manufactured, in the Punjab. Bhang is pre-
pared all over the province.
15. For making bhang, the leaves are dried.
3 U 2