142
68. None.
69. No, I think the wishes of the people should
be consulted.
70. None.
Oral evidence.
20. Powars and Lodhis smoke a great deal.
The Kunbis, who are also cultivators, hardly
smoke at all. So do several other classes.
27. (c) It is among Powars and Lodhis that
ganja is not considered so disgraceful as opium or
liquor. This is not the general opinion.
29 . The people generally do not use dhatura.
Only few of the Gossains use it: those who re-
quire great intoxication. I have heard of nux
vomica being similarly used, but not arsenic.
32. This answer also applies to bhang. Bhang
is used in the Holi; but it is not enjoined. The
obligation referred to in my Answer 27 (a) rests
only on Gossains, who, as devotees, are privileged
to use ganja to produce concentration. In my
answers generally, I include bhang, in ganja,—for
it is chur which is used as bhang in Bhandara.
35. Ganja smoking is so general, that its
prohibition would lead to illicit consumption. In
the second place, detection of illicit growth would
be very difficult.
42. By the words "as far as ganja is con-
cerned," I mean to exclude admixtures, not to
exclude bhang. So also in Answer 43.
45. Amdoo was sentenced to ten years' im-
prisonment. The plea of insanity being in the
family was raised, but failed. The father said
the accused smoked ganja to excess, and that he
learned it from farm servants. He did not drink.
I knew him personally before the case. The
accused pleaded insanity ; but ganja was not
mentioned in the case. I was specially instructed
not to mention the ganja. The father did not
volunteer the statement about the ganja. I
asked him when the ganja marks on the hand
were seen. I never asked about dhatura. The
accused was about 29 or 30 years old.
46. Nilkaut's insanity was recurrent. He
died two years after being in hospital. He re-
covered from time to time; but the use of ganja
brought back the insanity. He was brother of
my clerk, and I knew him well. He did not take
any admixture, 1 believe. He was, I was inform-
ed, removed from his office on account of this.
This was ten years ago. He was not violent
but incoherent in his talk. Raghoonath Rao,
Nazir, now pensioned, knows the case, as Nilkant
was his brother. The second case occurred three
years ago. I might find a relative of Balaji's.
48. I cannot specify cases here; but I think
this so.
50. Opium does not take quick effect; so
ganja is used immediately after it, sometimes to
increase the rapidity of intoxication. The opium
is used because the ganja would too soon lose its
effect. The combined use is regarded as very
effective. It is only rarely used by very debauch-
ed persons, who also are accustomed to these
drugs.
65. Ganja is still the cheapest intoxicant. I
do not think the equalisation of ganja with liquor
would be harmful. I only wish to have a larger
share of the profit of the vendor go to Government.
I do not, however, think that the duty should be
much raised ; for I think that the people should
not be driven to liquor. That is worse than
ganja. Opium also is worse than ganja, whether
the opium is eaten or smoked.
73. Evidence of Mr. J . A. MAUGHAN, Manager, Central Provinces
Collieries,
Umaria, Jubbulpore District.
1. From witnesses here, viz., Ganga Singh,
Thakur, Pound-keeper, camp Umaria; Munavar,
Engine-man, camp Umaria, and others.
2. The definitions are applicable to this part.
3. It is not known to grow spontaneously here.
7. There is no cultivation of hemp in these
provinces.
14. Ganja, charas and bhang are not prepared
in these provinces.
15. Preparation of bhang :—Leaves washed
thrice, fresh water added and strained off each
time ; then to the mass is added the powders of
pepper, anise, almond, and cardamom, and sugar
and milk. This is supposed to be a cooling drink
and used in the hot season. Pills are made for
the rainy season with the same ingredients except
milk. The whole thing is fried and used in the
cold season. Pepper is a necessary ingredient in
all these preparations.
16. Bhang is prepared at home in Holi and
Shivaratri festivals.
18. The preparations do deteriorate by keeping,
in which case they lose to a great extent their
intoxicating effects. They will keep good a year.
Damp causes deterioration, and to keep them
good, you must keep them dry in air-tight re-
ceptacles.
19. Ganja and charas are used only for smok-
ing.
20. Fifty per cent. of lower classes smoke ganja
and charas. Here (in Umaria) nearly 21 per cent.
smoke ganja, but charas is not sold here. Ganja-
- s m o k i n g i s n o t c o n f i n e d t o a n y c l a s s , t h o u g h t h e
majority of smokers are among the lower classes.
21. Smokers prefer baluchur as a rule, but this
variety is not obtainable here. Flat ganja is the
variety used here. It is called Indori, being
ported from Indore territory.
22. Foreign charas is imported from the North-
Western Provinces and the Punjab.
23. Bhang is never used for smoking.
24. Drinking bhang is not confined to any
particular class, but the higher classes use bhang.
It is not common here.
25. It is on the increase.
26. Nearly 10 per cent. are habitual excessive
consumers.
27. The lower classes mostly, as it is supposed
to make a person insensible to hard labour and
f a t i g u e . Th e h i g h e r c l a s s e s a r e n o t a l l o we d
to smoke ganja, but eat or drink bhang as a
luxury.
28. Ganja
—
(a) One party gives me ⅛ t o l a — ½ a p i c e ;
another witness says half a tola—cost half an
anna.