408
(g ) I know and have seen parties quite insane
who used to smoke ganja.
47 and 48. No.
49. Do not know.
51. I have not experienced any crimes in co
n -
n e c t i o n w i t h t h e u s e o f t h e s e d r u g s a s i t i s s e e n i n
people with alcoholic stimulants.
52.Nothing.
53, 54 and 55. I do not know.
56. To stupefy an habitual user of hemp drugs
dhatura is given admixed with this drug.
57. I have not experienced any.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I
am an employer of labour in
saw mill, tile factory, and general business.
There are some 35 men in each of the two former
departments, and some 100 women are employed
in making coir yarn. I have been carrying on
these businesses for some years, the tile factory
and saw mill for six and three years, and other in
-
dustries for longer time. I have been 40 years
resident in Malabar. My answers are based on
general observation of the country during my resi
-
dence. I had coffee estates in Wynaad where
workmen were employed sometimes in hundreds.
My knowledge of the coast people is more inti
-
mate than that of the Wynaad for I only made
visits to the latter country. We have also held
the liquor contracts of the district. I have also
employed workmen in building on contract for
Government.
Question 43 .—Moderate consumers of the drugs
are inoffensive in their conduct. The preparation
of the drugs, however, causes disagreeable smells
which are offensive.
Question 45.—The bad effects I have described
result from the excessive use of ganja. My state
-
ment is based on personal observation and expe
-
rience. The insanes whom I have mentioned
became mad from excessive use of ganja. They
are travelling bairagis who stay a few days at
Calicut on their way to certain shrines. None
of my workmen have become insane. I know
one Brahmin resident of Cannanore, who has b
e -
come insane from the same cause. These insanes
are not violent, but utterly stupid and unable to
answer questions. The Cannanore Brahmin I saw
frequently. The fact that these persons had be
-
come insane from the use of ganja was learnt from
other people. I know that the Cannanore man
used to take the drug. I have seen the bairagis
going round begging and put
t i n g u p a t t h e c h a t -
trams, and they always have the drug in their
possession. Noticing that some of them are in
-
sane, I have enquired the cause and been told
that it is the smoking of ganja. I have not
known one of these men as a sane man, nor has
any of them become insane within my experience.
I knew the Cannanore Brahmin when he was sane,
and saw him getting worse by degrees till he
finally became insane. I did not know his family.
I think they are resident in Cannanore. He is a
priest, and receives alms from his "yejman." He
lived in a house opposite that in which I used to
stay when I visited Cannanore, and I frequently
talked with him, and jested with him both before
and after his intellect began to give way. He
was a respectable man. He never talked with me
about his private affairs. It is fifteen or twenty
years since he was sane. He was then 28 or 30
years of age.
Question 59 .—I do not think bhang is inju
-
ious, and I would let the people have it. By
bhang, I mean the drink, that is made up from
pounded leaves. This bhang is not procurable in
this country, and must be imported from Wynaad,
Coimbatore, or elsewhere. Bhang is the leaf of
the plant and is distinct from ganja, which is the
blossom. The two things are purchasable in the
shop separately. Ganja like alcohol taken moder-
a t e l y i s a l s o h a r m l e s s b u t e x c e s s i s v e r y b a d .
I don't think any further restrictive measures are
necessary with regard to ganja. In Malabar
there are not many ganja consumers, and moder
-
rate consumers are the majority. The excessive
consumers are very few.
1. 182. Evidence of M. R. RY. V. ANANTH RAO PANTULU GARU, RAO SAHEB, Bank
Cashier, Vizagapatam District.
Oral evidence.
Question 1 .—I am cashier in the bank of
Madras in Bimlipatam and Chairman of the
Municipal Committee. I know the plains in
this district, but not the hill tracts. I am a native
of this district, born in Vizagapatam.
Question 45 .—My knowledge of hemp is limit
-
ed and of a general character, but I have been
inquiring since this Commission was constituted,
for the Collector asked me whether I was willing
to be a witness. I said my knowledge was limited
and my evidence would not be of value.
The population of Bimlipatam is about 9,000.
The number of smokers will be about 50. Among
agriculturists the use is less than among people
living in towns. The only injurious effects that
have come to my notice are that in the case of
three persons steeped in the use of the drugs they
have become listless and almost insane. The
moderate use does no harm, except that it, tends to
the excessive use. This is the only harm. I do not
know any moderate smokers who have not shown
this tendency. The number of times of using the
drug is increased. All this is based on the observ
a -
tions of a few months. I have never watched it
before. There are smokers whom I have asked who
have described this tendency to increase as an
i m -
perceptible influence. This seems less to apply to
bhang. The smoking is more injurious, as more
likely to tend to excess. I have seen cases of
drinking bhang which have been attended with
good results: the bhang has been beneficial. I am
not aware of any such case in regard to ganja. I
did not know before beginning this inquiry that
there were 50 smokers in the town. I have since
inquired from the ganja shopkeeper, and visited
his shop. I have also tried to find out ganja
smokers from one or two other sources. And
what I have said above is mainly based on what
I have ascertained from, and in respect to, these
ganja smokers. Before I began this inquiry I had
a general impression that hemp drugs were in
-
jurious, but I had no knowledge of any case in
which injurious effects had occurred. My inquiries
have been mainly confined to the town of Bimli
-
patam, but I have also obtained some information