208
call oppression involved in prohibition is unneces-
sary. There is a good deal of back-yard culti-
vation which is untaxed. It would be desirable
to stop this sporadic cultivation, if feasible. I
think we could do this. I think it would be
far simpler to issue an order stopping cultivation;
and that would be far easier than attempting to
tax it. I believe this cultivation could be stamped
out by the mere issue of the order. And sup-
posing that there were reasonable facilities for
consumers obtaining the drugs, the dissatisfaction
would not be great. I speak only of my own
division at present, but I know the whole presi-
dency except a little on the west coast. I think
my remarks apply to the whole presidency so far as
I know it. I think that the absolute prohibition
would require extra establishment for a time.
The present establishment would have to be
increased, but not to any large extent. And this
extra establishment would only be required for
a short time. When the thing was established
it might be dispensed with. When you show the
people that you want to carry out an order, they
will do so at once. Ganja is much more lightly
taxed than alcohol, and very much cheaper in
consequence. The great bulk indeed is not taxed
at all. There is in my opinion a margin for a
considerable increase in taxation without equalis-
ing the tax on alcohol and ganja. I think that
at present a man who takes ganja has to spend on
the average three pies a day; and the man who takes
arrack pays about from nine pies to one anna six
pies a day. The toddy drinker pays about the
same as the arrack drinker. These are about the
average figures for an average moderate consumer.
If a moderate consumer of alcohol took his dram
a day, he would pay about Re. 1 as. 8 a month
in the interior and Rs. 3 in Madras. Both liquor
and ganja are under my charge; but of course
ganja occupies comparatively little attention. I
cannot say that I can state anything definite
regarding their comparative effects. I am not
prepared with an opinion.
29. Evidence of RAO BAHADUR
R. DHARMARAO, Deputy Commissioner, Salt
and Abkari, Northern Division.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I have been nearly thirty-three
years in service, 25 of which have been passed in the
superior grades as Deputy Commissioner and Magis-
trate, Salt Deputy Commissioner, Temporary De-
puty Commissioned in Ganjam, Personal Assistant
to the Commissioner of Salt and Abkari, Assistant
Commissioner of Salt and Abkari, and now De-
puty Commissioner of Salt and Abkari. I have
served principally in the Northern Circars.
Question 7 .—The ganja which is used in these
districts comes partly from Daggupadu in the
Kistna district, where the cultivation is about 100
acres, and partly from the Agency villages and
the backyards in various places. In Daggupadu
there is regular cultivation and manufacture. As
well as I know, the manufacture in other places
is of a rough kind. There is no regular cultiva-
tion in any other of the four districts. There is
a good deal of the sporadic cultivation both in
yards and fields and gardens. Ganjam gets ganja
from Cuttack also, I think. The hemp plant
does not grow wild except when a seed may have
fallen by accident. I do not think I should recog-
nize the wild plant if I saw it, if it is unlike the
cultivated plant. I have not heard of the drugs
having been made from the wild plant.
Question 20.—I think the consumers of the
hemp drugs number as many as 3 per cent. of the
whole population in the towns, and 1 to 2 per cent.
in the rural tracts. This estimate is the result
of consideration of the matter, and not a mere
guess. These figures represent the present state of
things since the railway works have been opened.
The foreign labourers are scattered along the line
as well as resident in the towns, and have raised
the proportion of consumers in both rural tracts
and towns. I do not think the habits of the
people of the country have changed. On the
contrary, the number of native consumers tends to
decrease because the people of this part of the
country do not enter military service as much as
they used to do. Soldiers acquire the habit on
service in other parts of India. In Vizianagram
where there are soldiers and foreigners employed,
the number of consumers is much greater than in
Vizagapatam.
Question 36 .—The statistics of liquor consump-
tion show an appreciable increase in Ganjam and
Vizagapatam and Kistna where the issues of
liquor are recorded. In the Godavari district also
where the tree-tapping system is in force the
revenue is on the increase. But I do not think
that these increases have affected the consumption
of the hemp drugs. The revenue of the hemp
drug shops has also risen. I think the opium
and hemp drugs habits are so related that the one
would be affected by any variation in the other,
but I have no facts to base this opinion upon. I
should like to say that the increase in the liquor
revenue has been brought about by the suppression
of smuggling and illicit distillation.
Q uestion 45 .—The habit of smoking ganja is
sometimes formed by association, but generally it
is adopted as a protection against malaria and
b a d w a t e r . G a n j a i s p r e s c r i b e d f o r d i a r r h œ a b y n a t i v e
doctors. I think the drug has beneficial effects
in improving the digestion and curing bowel com-
plaints, if it is used in moderation and is accom-
panied by good feeding. If used in excess the
drug produces weakness and emaciation, and causes
laziness and loss of temper, and even in extreme
cases, insanity. This excessive use is very un-
common in these four districts, and I have only
seen the bad effects in two bairagis who came from
the north. I remember seeing two such men, one
at Chicacole and one at Ellamanchali, who were
behaving in an insane manner. The people stand-
ing about in both instances said the men had been
taking ganja. These are the only cases in which
I have learnt of such serious results occurring.
Question 51.—I do not think the drugs have
anything whatever to do with crime. As Police
Officer and Magistrate, I have never had any
reason to connect the two. Alcohol on the other
hand is provocative of crime, particularly in the
toddy season when fights and petty violence are
common.
Question 59.—I do not think there is any
necessity to prohibit or impose further restrictions
on the hemp drugs in the districts of which I
am speaking.
There is no direct restriction on the cultivation,
possession, import, transport or export of ganja.