369
"If you don't want a 'head,' put one drink on
top of another."
But the characteristic effect upon which many
people from whom I have inquired in many places
lay stress without exception is, the timidity induced
by bhang. There are two proverbs, of which I have
unfortunately lost my note, one of which compares
the effects of the different narcotics, and describes
the bhang-drinker as "a little child ;" while the
other says that if a leaf falls on his head, he thinks
it a tiger. The idea, derived from I know not
where, which I always entertained, that the Ghazi,
or the man who ran amuck, used bhang to stimulate
his courage, is scouted by everybody as the exact
converse of the truth.
3. Karnal, Jalandhar (northern part) and
Hoshiarpur. Abundant in the last two.
4. Bhang, buti, sabzi.
5. Ample moisture and a good loam seem essen-
tial.
6. Dense under favourable conditions.
7. I have been told of individual fakirs sowing
a few seeds near their houses, to use the leaves as
bhang. I know of no more extensive cultivation.
16. Yes, in the tract where it grows wild. Not
here, apparently, All agree that charas comes only
from Yarkand, etc.
23. Occasionally a fakir will roll the fresh leaves
between his palms and smoke them.
24. For this and following questions, see para-
graph 1.
33. I think the habitual use of bhang is looked
on with some disfavour. Not so its occasional use.
35. Not as regards bhang in a tract where it
grows wild.
Yes, it would be consumed illicitly.
Incessant search would be necessary, which, even
if possible, would produce very serious discontent.
51. [The answer to questions 51 to 55 are given
after consultation with and local enquiry by my
police staff.] (a) No. (b) None so far as I can
ascertain.
52. As above.
53. No; it is said to produce timidity as its
most marked effect. No.
54. Not within my knowledge.
55. Have never known any such case.
68. In the villages, the drug-shop is usually an
ordinary ata-dal shop, whose proprietor holds a
license, or acts as the agent of the contractor, for
the sale of drugs. No drugs are, in such eases,
consumed on the premises.
69. I have never opened a new shop. But, if
this Commission were not sitting, I should close a
number of my shops in which the sale is absolutely
nominal.
Oral evidence.
I have been twenty-four years in the service.
Question 59.—My view of the policy of
Government in regard to intoxicants is that
the evil effects ought to be very serious and
very general and clearly established, before Govern-
ment should interfere to prohibit or to restrict
by excise arrangements apart from taxation.
In regard to taxation, comparatively slight
evil effects would, I think, justify restric-
tion by means of taxation. The one involves
excessive vexatious interference by subordinates,
the other does not. In regard to charas and
bhang, I may say broadly that no evil effects
vol. v.
have come under my notice during my service.
I have known one or two individual cases of the
abuse of charas and bhang. I have one in my es-
tablishment now. But I could count on my
fingers all the cases I have known during my
service. I know nothing about charas, nor
the habitual use of bhang that is worth placing
before the Commission. So far as I understand,
bhang is mainly used by fakirs and charas by
Purbias ; and the latter is generally regarded
by respectable people with more disfavour than
bhang. So far as my own experience goes, I
classify these hemp drugs among the intoxi-
cants, with which Government should interfere
only by such restriction as is effected by taxa-
tion. In regard to the aim of Government in
determining the extent and method of taxation,
I doubt whether it would be wise to tax bhang
so heavily as to prevent the fakirs getting it
easily. They use it, they say, to promote their
meditation on God, and the people would resent
the fakirs' privation of it. People generally
would not, 1 believe, mind being deprived of
it, as far as they themselves are concerned,
provided that the plant were really exterminated.
If it were left growing all round. them the
measures that would have to be taken to enforce
prohibition would be most distasteful, and would
provoke resentment. As regards charas, there
would be a danger, if a certain limit were passed,
of having a greater consumption of illicit charas
than there would otherwise be of licit charas.
That is the only limit I see it necessary to
impose. If I found that a large class habitual-
ly use charas without injurious effects, I should
certainly take that into consideration.
There would be no difficulty in taxing charas
imported in bulk ; but there would be a good
deal of smuggling. It is very portable ; and
every one that brought in anything else could
bring some. I know nothing practically of this,
but speak from the general principles of human
nature. There is now a law enabling the taxa-
tion of charas ; but I have not considered yet
at all how the taxation should be carried out.
I think it is politically important not to stop
the traffic, as it is one of the main articles of
the trade which keeps up communications with
Central Asia. I do not know how far the taxa-
tion would affect the trade. But the hypothesis
being that taxation is to reduce consumption,
it would, to that extent, reduce the trade.
Looking to the character of the country and
the status of the importers, I do not think the
latter could, as a rule, pay the tax. They are
generally the owners and of small capital. It
is my impression that the owners are the principal
importers ; but I really have no claim to accurate
knowledge on the subject. I see no difficulty
in the system of having bonded warehouses where
the dealers would meet the importers, and buy
the drug and place it in bond until required for
the market when it would be removed on pay-
ment of duty.
Speaking, generally, I should recommend some
system of taxation if the effects of charas are
found noxious. My impression is that they are
so ; but I have no accurate data on which to base
a definite opinion. I am not talking of the taxa-
tion of a mere luxury. There is a stronger case
for taxing a noxious intoxicant, and in that
case you carry the people with you ; in the
other, you do not.
I have said that the prohibition of bhang is
not feasible where it grows wild. At present
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