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country is under our political control and is visited
yearly for a few days by the Deputy Commissioner
with a strong armed guard, but beyond that, and
over the Nagas, on the south of the Lakhimpur
district, we exercise no control whatever. In the
Naga Hills ganja grows profusely. Proceeding
further we come to the Khamptis and Singphos,
over whom we exercise no jurisdiction; and thence
to the north of the Brahmaputra Valley we have
various tribes; first the Mishmis, against whom
we sent an expeditionary force a few years ago;
then the Abors, with whom we are now at war.
Then proceeding westwards come the Miris, the
Daflas, and the Akas, all savage races, who are
practically independent. We consider that all
the territory inhabited by these people is British
territory, but we have never extended our control
over the people in any way. In all these hills
ganja is grown and is brought down to the plains
—the Miris specially are great offenders. Pass-
ing on from these races we come next to Thibet
and Bhutan, countries under recognised Govern-
ments, with whom we have treaties, but we have
no control over the people, and their own Govern-
ments have very little more, and we have had
many instances of ganja being brought down
from both Thibet and Bhutan.
I have completed my remarks about the various
hills and the tribes on the borders of the Brahma-
putra Valley. In the Surma Valley the conditions
are very similar. We have in that valley two
districts, Sylhet and Cachar. Sylhet has on the
north the Khasi Hills and the Jaintia Hills, to
which I have already referred, and to the south
the independent State of Hill Tippera, and from
all these hill tracts ganja is exported. In Cachar
we have to the north the tract known as North
Cachar, which is administered by us under special
rules, and where we have a rough system of excise.
On the east we have the tributary State of Mani-
pur—a State where both opium and ganja are
produced and surreptitiously brought down to the
plains,—and to the south the Lushai country,
which we took over in 1890, and where we have a
Political Officer supported by a strong force, and
where it is inexpedient to interfere in excise
matters.
It will thus be seen that in both valleys our
districts are surrounded by hills inhabited by
people over whom we have, with few exceptions,
either absolutely no control or only a so-called
political control. All these hill tracts are ganja-
producing tracts, and the drug is brought down
to the plains and secretly sold or bartered for
other commodities. This condition of things
increases our difficulties in regard to controlling
the consumption of ganja and makes it incumbent
on us to be constantly on the watch and to en-
courage our police by a system of rewards to be
active and energetic. Every seer of hill ganja
introduced into the plains means not only loss of
revenue, but an increase to illicit and secret con-
sumption. I think much has been done in recent
years to discourage both the use of the wild ganja
and the importation of the hill drug, but it is
evident from the number of prosecutions that
illicit cultivation and importation still continue to
some extent, and any neglect to watch and check
the practice will, no doubt, lead to a considerable
increase in both production and sale.
Oral evidence.
I have never served in the Surma Valley; but I
have travelled about since November 1889 as In-
spector General of Police and Excise Commissioner,
visiting all the districts of the province. I have
held charge of every district of the Assam Valley
except Sibsagar.
Question 7.—The so-called wild plant is found
in every district of the province. I think there is
no such thing as wild ganja. It does not grow of
itself like any other weed. As a rule, the plant is
found in lands occupied by the owner's homestead.
It is not found in his sugarcane field, for example,
which may be far off from the homestead, but
generally in the homestead enclosure, with vege-
tables, etc. I infer from this that the growth is
very ordinarily surreptitious. I always encourage
Magistrates to form a conclusion against a man in
whose enclosure it is found; for the very fact that
it is there is proof of control over it. He could
have rooted it out; but the law requires evidence
of cultivation, either of having tended the plant or
of having concealed it. The practice of Deputy
Commissioners differs considerably, more especially
in regard to punishments.
In regard to cattle, I do not believe it is required
to any extent for cattle. But it is curious that
among the Assamese it is not found. It is a mere
excuse by those who really want to use it that it is
for cattle. I have no feeling that the Circular No.
28 of 1882 was necessary. I think it was is ued
on insufficient information. I never push it for-
ward. I have never seen the stuff used for cattle;
nor have I heard of its being used, except when
the use is thus pleaded in excuse.
As to other grounds, I think there would be no
hardship in ordering that a man should be held
responsible for the existence of the plant in his
homestead. I should not be prepared to go so far
as to say "all occupied land," because fields are
sometimes a mile off, and the growth there is very
rare. The stuff requires manure apparently. I
think what one sees on fields is from seed. The
stuff springs from seed and then reproduces itself,
being self-sown thereafter.
The stuff is found in the homesteads of foreign-
ers and in the homesteads of Assamese near
places where there are foreigners. In the interior,
remote from tea gardens and the settlements of
foreigners, it is not found. So in regard to fields
it is found chiefly where there are foreigners.
My objection to prohibiting the stuff in fields is
merely that, as the fields are far away, and are
sometimes not visited for months when there is
nothing doing, a man might not see the stuff
growing, and might be prosecuted without having
any guilty intention. But I do not think that it
would be impossible to carry out the prohibition
The above is the only objection I have.
It is a mistake to think that tea garden coolies
have no land attached to their quarters. As a
rule, inspecting officers insist on garden land
being allotted for the production of vegetables.
The following are the orders on the subject.
Rule 126 of the Rules made under Act I of
1882—"Where it is possible, sufficient garden
ground shall be provided for each house or row of
houses."
I may add that coolies, whose time has expired,
often settle down, as land is so cheap in Assam,
The hemp is found on the fields of these and other
foreign settlers and also on fields near where there
are foreigners. It is not found in the fields of
remote villages with purely Assamese population.
I believe that this so-called wild hemp affects
our revenue very considerably. It is used by cer-
tain consumers, and it is also mixed by vendors
with excise ganja and sold. Prosecutions, as