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130. Evidence of TIMMARAZU VENKATA SIVA RAO., Brahmin, Landed Proprietor
and Chairman, Municipal Council, Chicacole, Ganjam District.
1. As a landed proprietor, I very often come
in contact with many persons who use hemp drug
preparations and many native doctors and others
who make such preparations.
3. I have knowledge of no district where the
hemp plant grows spontaneously.
14. On my enquiry I have come to know that
only ganja and bhang are prepared in this country.
As far as my knowledge is concerned, they are, to
a great extent, prepared in big towns. From this
I do not mean to deny totally the preparations in
small towns and villages.
16. (a) Yes.
( b) and (c) I believe so.
19. They are used not only for smoking but
also for eating and drinking. Ganja mixed with
with sugar, milk, and such spices as cardamoms,
nutmegs, etc., is used for drinking. There is a pre-
paration called "halwa," of which the chief ingre-
dient is ganja, not to speak of several native
medicines, of whose component parts ganja is one.
The halwa and the native medicines being eatables,
ganja is said to be used for eating also.
20. I do not see that smoking of ganja is
confined to particular class or classes of people, as
I understand that all clases of people generally
smoke it. On rough calculation I can say that
not less than five per cent. smoke ganja.
24. As regards classes of people, vide my answer
to Question 20.
25. I should think it is on the increase, inas-
much as I find now greater number of bhang-
drinkers almost in every town, of which I have
some knowledge, than ten years ago.
28. I do not think that habitual moderate con-
sumer can consume more than a tola a day of the
drugs, which, I am told, will not cost more than
one anna. But there is a separate class of people
called bairagis who are said to devote a major
portion of their life in wandering over the country,
and who, it appears, consume two tolas, or a little
more than that, a day in smoking.
32. It has almost become a social custom in
several big towns that bhang is prepared and
distributed, along with other preparations, among
the guests, on important occasions at dinners.
There is a class called Rajputs, or popularly called
Bondilis. They observe annually a festival named
Holi. It is reported that it is a custom among
them to use halwa or bhang during that festival.
33. It is generally regarded with contempt. Yes;
the public opinion is that the practice is bad.
There is a popular opinion that the use of any
form of narcotic acts against the intellectual
powers of a person; hence it is generally in dis-
repute. I am not aware of any custom of worship-
ping the hemp plant.
39. No; on the other hand, smoking is said to
be more injurious. As the effect of the smoking
does not last long and the smoker is incapable to
resist frequent temptations, he is apt to smoke
more frequently than a drinker or eater drinks or
eats. These admittedly being drugs of an intoxi-
cating nature, the more frequent the use of them
is the more intoxicated the user is. Hence
smoking is said to be more injurious.
40. ( a ) Yes.
( b ) I have no knowledge.
41. I do not think so.
42. I cannot definitely say.
43. I cannot say that they are entirely so.
44. Produces drowsiness or half consciousness ;
refreshing ; produces intoxication ; allays hun-
ger ; creates appetite. The length, of time in
which the effect lasts, varies according to the
nature of preparation of drugs. I have no know-
ledge of after-effects. Yes; it does produce long-
ing and uneasiness.
45. Yes ; I believe it does produce noxious effects
physically, it weakens the constitution mentally,
and it interferes with the brain.
49. Yes.
51. Yes. These drugs being productive of
intoxication, the user is not unlikely to have recourse
to any crime in general under the influence of the
drugs, especially as the use of these drugs has more
connection with gambling and theft, to which the
consumers have general recourse with the view
of getting money for purchasing these drugs,
inasmuch as the consumers are in not less then 75
cases out of 100 vagabonds, notorious bad charac-
ters, and bairagis, who spend their life in rambling
over the country depending on others for their
expenses.
53. Yes. I am not aware.
131. Evidence of C. MUTHU KUMARASWAMI MUDELLIAR, Zamindar, Chunampet,
Chingleput District.
1. There are some of my tenants who are habi-
tual smokers; and pilgrims, generally bairagis,
from the north, on their way to and from Ramas-
waram, halt in good numbers here. Most of these
either smoke or drink ganja. Conversation with
them and observation into their habits enable me
to say something about the subject on hand.
3. I have not known any.
14. None to speak of.
16. Bhang, as is understood here, is a compound
of ganja leaves jaggery and pepper. Such bhang
is prepared by individuals, for their own private
use, with ganja leaves procured from the market.
People this side have no knowledge of preparing
ganja from the hemp plant direct.
19. Charas is not known here. Ganja leaf is
the only article purchased from bazaars. The
people here either smoke it, or make a compound
of it with pepper and jaggery, or with pure
jaggery only, and take it internally. This ganja
leaf, as obtained from bazaars, is also used for
medicinal purposes, such as puranathy.
20. This is not a commonly used drug here.
The few that use here belong to the flesh-eating
lower classes. The medicants, who impose on the
superstitious public with the garb of an ascetic,
take to this habit of smoking. This habit of
smoking is invariably found among the Hindu-
stani bairagis or pilgrims from the north.
Since the use of ganja is not prevalent to any