434
I remember a great deal of ganja being brought
in by night and buried in the sand for the Pandas,
who went to take it when they required. Infor-
mation was laid, and seizures were made. It is
Gurjat ganja that is smuggled. The Gurjat pil-
grims bring it to the Pandas. I base this on
cases I have seen of pilgrims being convicted.
They give it to the Pandas and temple servants
and also sell it to them. There is also much
smuggling by local people for their own consump-
tion. I know this from my old experience when
I was a Saristadar, and also from my experience
as Honorary Magistrate. I cannot tell how
much of the smuggling comes from Madras side
and how much from our States. The ganja is
the same in both cases.
202. Evidence of the REV. PREM CHAND, Missionary, B. M. S., Gaya.
1. My work lies amongst the masses in the
town as well as in the district, and I have had
many opportunities of observing the baneful
effects of the hemp poison on those who take to
them.
2. I think these definitions will do for this
province. Bhang, charas, and ganja are terms
commonly known in these parts. I should, how-
ever, suggest that majun, vulgarly called majum,
should be added to this list. It is made of bhang
or charas, with sugar, flour and milk in small
cakes of a light yellow colour and largely sold.
3. Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Purneah, and Raj-
shahi districts.
I have seen it grow in the northern part of the
Bhagalpur district in abundance.
4. Bhang, bhung, thundhai, sabzi, patti, siddhi,
etc. The term "gorak ganja" is made use of by
the sadhus for the wild hemp. They all refer to
the same plant—Cannabis indica.
5. I have no means to ascertain this; but as far
as it has come under my observation, it is indige-
nous in Tirhut and the western and northern parts
of Bengal proper, and in the northern part of
Behar. It evidently needs rich alluvial soil,
moderately moist.
7. (a) No.
(b) No.
(c) Yes, in the northern parts of this prov-
ince, but to what extent I have no means to
find out.
16. (a), (b), (c) Yes.
18.
Number of
shops
in town
Number of
shops in the
district
Quantity
sold last
year
Rate at
which
sold
Mds
Ganja
11
60
93 R16 per seer in
town; R20 per
seer in the dis-
trict.
Bhang
6
17
186 R1 per seer in
town; R1-8 per
seer in the dis-
trict
Besides two shops for selling majun, the shop-
keepers paying a license fee of R48 annually,
and turning out as much of this stuff as they
please without any control whatever.
19. Ganja and charas are largely used for
smoking. Very few excessive consumers chew it.
20. Ganja is smoked by almost all classes of
Hindus, very seldom by Muhammadans. The
sadhus are much addicted to it as well as charas,
which is not in much favour with the common
people. It is not sold in Gaya, as there are no
consumers to be found here. About 15 per cent.
of the population in Gaya uses ganja.
21. As far as I know, ganja, flat, round or
chur, are distinctions made by Government. They
are offered for sale by the shopkeepers as one
commodity—ganja—and are bought as such by
the consumers.
22. Charas is not sold in Gaya.
23. No.
24. Almost all classes of Hindus take bhang.
I do not think I shall be very wide of the mark
when I say that 60 per cent. of the population of
Behar uses it. The percentage would be some-
what higher in Baidyanath and Gaya.
25. The use of ganja, charas and bhang is
decidedly increasing—
1st—On account of temptations placed in the
way of the people, and facilities afforded them in
obtaining it by the opening of shops in the chief
market places and mêlas all over Behar. There
are three shops kept within 15 yards of each
other in the chauk or principal bazar in Gaya, and
two of these shops are alongside of those in which
vegetables are sold.
2nd—The cheapness of the drugs is a very
strong incentive to their increase in consumption.
3rd—The Government officers somehow or
other deem it wise to put forth strenuous efforts
to push on the trade.
26
Bhang
Ganja
Charas
(a) 45 per cent
30 per cent
30 per cent
(b) 35 do
68
do
68
do
(c) 15 do
Very few
Very few
(d) 5 do.
Hardly any
Hardly any
There are very few strictly moderate consumers
amongst those who take ganja or bhang.
27. The consumers belong to almost all classes,
chiefly amongst the Hindus. Young people
learn it in company with confirmed consumers.
Debauchery often leads to it.
28
BHANG
GANJA
Quantity
Cost
Quantity
Cost
(a) 1/4 ounce
0-0-11/2
1/2 dram
0-0-3
(b) 2 ounces
0-1-0
1/4 ounce
0-2-0
I have heard of people taking four ounces of
bhang and half an ounce of ganja at a time; but
these must be very exceptional cases.
29. Pepper, aniseed, cardamoms, milk and sugar
are mixed with bhang generally, and they are
called bhang massala. With ganja tobacco
leaves, and with charas tobacco ordinarily pre-
pared with molasses is used. As far as I know
dhatura is not ordinarily used. Some sadhus in
taking their panch ratna (or five precious things)
make use of charas, ganja, dhatura, sankhya, and
one more ingredient, probably opium.
30. People generally smoke ganja in company
with two or three others; bhang with their fami-
lies. I have seen men and women take bhang and
smoke ganja. Children take bhang generally
with the inmates of their house; some boys even
smoke ganja. At the time of the Sivratri and the
Holi festivals the Hindus induce, if not force,
their children, specially boys, to take bhang.