29
Question 35.— The other drugs that might he
used if hemp was prohibited would be dhatura for
one. That was the drug I had in my mind. I
can mention no other. I might have heard from
some one else about other drugs, but I can recall
none except dhatura.
Question 46.— I have heard of people losing
their senses from use of the drugs, but I am not
prepared with any case. My statement was based
on hearsay, and relates only to ganja and charas.
I have never had any case of insanity before me
in my magisterial capacity.
Question 51.— Men in the lock-up often ask for
ganja, saying they are accustomed to it. They
ask for it sometimes in court. When prisoners
are brought up we enquire if they have been well
treated or have any complaint, and they then com-
plain of want of ganja.
Such enquiries are
generally made when I am on tour. Habitual bad
characters are among those who make this request.
There is no bad repute attaching to the smoking
of ganja among the lower classes. The request
for ganja by prisoners is of course refused. In
visiting the jail also I have often received com-
plaints about the deprivation of ganja. Ganja
and charas consumers of the lower classes have no
shame whatever about asking for the drugs.
With reference to my answer under question 34, I
am of opinion that the privation would not be
serious, as the feeling would not be lasting.
Prisoners in lock-ups are not allowed to provide
their own food.
Question 54.— Ganja and charas are said to be used
by dacoits. To say that they use it invariably is
hardly accurate. The word "invariably" should
be omitted from my answer. I know nothing
about it personally, and only repeat what I have
been told by different people on different occasions.
The question turns up in conversation. I have
never heard of liquor in this connection, the reason
being that, the Thakurs do not take liquor, and
they are the people who commit dacoities for the
most part in Bundelkhand.
Question 59.—It is my belief that every ganja
and charas smoker begins by learning to smoke
tobacco at an early age. I have seen many boys
between the ages of 12 and 16 who use the drugs,
and they must have begun by smoking tobacco.
I do not mean to say that the smoking of the
drugs is generally begun between the ages of 12
and 16, but that the habit of tobacco-smoking is,
and that leads to hemp-smoking at an early age.
The restriction I propose would at least prevent
youths taking to the hemp habit before 16.
26. Evidence of Pandit RAMA SHAUNKAR, Brahmin, Assistant Collector, Agra.
1. Since 1885 I have been Excise Officer in
various districts.
2. Yes. The names commonly given to these
three narcotics are the same as given here. In
some places bhang is also called as bootee.
16. Bhang is generally prepared at home; but
in some big cities there are shops where bhang is
made and diluted in sherbet and rose water, and
then is sold to the public. This, however, proves
a costly luxury, and the poorer classes have to
content themselves with the home preparation.
Bhang can be prepared from the hemp plant
wherever grown.
19. Ganja and charas used only for smoking.
20. Mendicants and weight carriers are the
men who chiefly smoke ganja and charas; but
their use is not specially restricted to any class or
creed in particular; nor is their use restricted
solely to one locality. I am unable to say what
proportion of people are addicted to ganja and
charas.
24. All classes of Hindus drink bhang. Bhang
is eaten only by the very poorer classes, who can-
not afford materials to paste it, or by travellers
who find it more convenient to chew it with some
gur. These practices are more or less prevalent
throughout these provinces. It is very difficult
to give the proportion asked for in this question.
31. Yes, very easily. It is very difficult to
break off a habit once formed. The habit has a
tendency to increase the consumption.
32, In Holi bhang is drunk freely by all classes
of the Hindu community. On Shivratri day, too,
the idol of Mahadeo has a libation of liquid bhang
poured on it, and then people drink it. In Holi
it is customary for all to drink bhang; but on
the Shivratri day only those need drink who
worship the Lingam of Sheo (Mahadeo). At Holi
the use of bhang is over excessive; but on
Shivratri it is nothing, if not moderate. The use
of the bhang only on Holi and Shivratri can
never degenerate into habit; nor is it in any way
injurious otherwise.
35. It is hopeless to think that the consump-
tion of the drugs can be successfully prohibited.
The drugs would surely be used illicitly. Rov-
ing mendicants and homeless fakirs will find it easy
enough to bring in these drugs illicitly. Prohibi-
tion of the drugs by Government will, of course,
cause serious discontent, just as the prohibition of
beer in England will cause. This discontent in
itself will not be a political danger, but it may be
a source of such danger in future. Alcohol and
other drugs may be replaced by bhang, charas,
and ganja; but these latter cannot be replaced,
insomuch that their effect is reported to be unique
I in more ways than one.
36. No.
40. Yes; bhang is often used in case of piles, in-
termittent fever, and nervous depression. Horses
and cattle, whenever over-worked, are given
bhang, which, in fact, is the principal ingredient
in Hindustani pharmacopoeia for all condition
powders.
42. Moderate use is harmless. The only reason
I can give is that I have seen hundreds of moder-
ate consumers in no way inferior to total abstain-
ers either in point of clearness of intellect, vigour
of body, or chastity and purity of moral thoughts.
43. Yes.
51. No; moderate use has no connection with
crime.
54. No, not as a rule. I have heard only of
alcohol as being used to give Dutch courage.
55. No; whatever is the stupefying drug used
by criminals.
58. The system is practically working well.
Too many contractors have the tendency of low-
ering prices so ridiculously low that people who
otherwise would not consume these drugs are