507
way of acceptance." This practice is followed by
all respectable people. And whenever siddhi is
drunk, it is done only for intoxicating purposes.
Even supposing that siddhi cannot be suppress-
ed altogether, there can be no valid excuse for the
non-suppression of the other three drugs which, as
has been already pointed out, are positively dele-
terious and vicious.
Loss—how to be recouped.—The
last point for
consideration is how to recoup the loss of revenue
to the Government resulting from the suppression
of ganja and its subordinate varieties. It has
been pointed out that the total revenue derived
from the hemp drugs is nearly 24 lacs a year.
An enlightened Government such as ours, it is to
be hoped, is quite competent to devise means for
the recoupment of a petty loss like this for such a
cause as the emancipation of 80,000 people from
the use of these degrading and demoralising drugs
and for the welfare of the cultivators thereof who
are being ruined by its cultivation.
Suggestions.—A few suggestions may however
be respectfully made:—
I. Economy—A wise parsimony is one of India's
greatest needs. Civil salaries of European officers
in Egypt and Ceylon are much lower than those
of European officers in India. With the increased
facilities for communications with Europe and
furlough, privileges, etc., the condition of service
in India for Europeans has considerably changed.
And surely the scale of pay and pensions of the
said officers need revision. If, however, it is con-
sidered that Europeans cannot serve with a lower
scale of pay, native agency in the Government
might be more largely used and thereby an im-
portant economy might be effected, as they would
not only serve with a lower scale of pay and
pensions but also the large amount of payments
for non-effectives will there by be greatly reduced.
Retrenchment may also be effected in the cost of
the annual migration to the hills and the subject
of compensation allowances may be carefully
considered.
II. Duties on cotton goods might be re-
imposed. The price of the goods thereby raised
would not bear hard upon the people. By this
process the country products will also be pro-
tected.
III. Income-tax might be increased raising the
taxable minimum to Rs. 1,000. The rich are
principally affected by it, the mass of the people
are not.
IV. Savings—By the suppression of the ganja
trade, retrenchment in the excise establishment may
also be effected. Not only reduction might be
made on account of a good portion of the excise
work having been taken away, but also certain
number of Excise Officers might be profitably
employed partly on excise and partly, say, on
income-tax. The item of expenditure for rewards
out of State funds for detection of offences against
the Excise Law, would be diminished and at the
same time an addition to the revenue by way
of fines be made.
Lastly—There is another aspect of the question.
The suppression of the use of the hemp drugs
would diminish, by about 30 per cent., the in-
mates of the State Lunatic Asylums, who are
maintained at the cost of the Government.
It
may be reasonably inferred that the reduction
of expenditure on this head on the State Lunatic
Asylums would go some way to balance the loss
of this item of excise revenue.
APPENDIX I.
[1]
(Translation.)
SREE SREE DURGA.
The sense in which the word Ganja is used now-a-days,
cannot be traced in ancient Vedic Ayurveda or famous
Tantras and others. Its habitual use in large doses brings
on consumption, dysentery, flow of blood, etc. Consequently
its use in that manner ought to be avoided. People who
smoke ganja, are likewise generally hated in society.
(Sd.) Sree Gangapersaud Sen Gupta.
(Sd.) Sree Dwarkanath Sen Kabiraj.
(Sd.) Sree Peary Mohun Sen Kabiraj.
(Sd.) Sree Bijoyratna Sen.
(Sd.) Sree Lukhinarain Sen.
(Sd.) Sree Gopee Nath Sen Kabiraj.
[2]
(Translation.)
SREE HARI SHARNAM.
No mention of the article that is used as ganja or
ganja now-a-days can be found in ancient Ayurvedic Shas-
tras. At the present day it is seldom used for medicinal
purposes; and that without any appreciable beneficial effect.
Moreover, by its use people are found to become distempered
and peevish. Further it is considered by all medical men
that various serious nervous diseases and diseases of the
lungs, heart, liver, and other organs are sure to result from
the use thereof.
The use of ganja is never admitted to be respectable in
any society in Hindusthan.
(Sd.) Sree Gopeemohun Roy Kabiraj.
(Sd.) Sree Lukhinarain Roy Kabiraj.
(Sd.) Sree Bunko Behary Mullick.
(Sd.) Sree Binodlal Sen Kabiraj.
(Sd.) Sree Kali Das Gupta Kabiraj.
(Sd.) Sree Nagendranath Sen Gupta.
(Sd.) Sree Koylas Chunder Sen.
(Sd.) Sree Upendranath Sen.
(Sd.) Sree Debendra Nath Sen Kabiraj.
APPENDIX II.
(Translation.)
SREE SREE SYAMA PADA BHARASA.
The use of ganja is never sanctioned in the Vedas or
other Shastras. There will be no violation of religious cere-
monies in foregoing the use of ganja altogether.
Siddhi although sometimes used in the worship of the
gods, yet the use of it by men is never intended in the
Shastras. There will be no violation of religious ceremonies
sanctioned by the Shastras, if the use of siddhi is avoided
once for all.
(Sd.) Sree Prasanna Kumar Nyaratna.
(Sd.) Sree Lukkhi Chander Sankhathirthha.
(Sd.) Sree Chundi Churn Bhattacharjya.
(Sd.) Sree Kashi Chunder Tarkalankar.
(Sd.) Sree Durga Churn Smrithithirthha.
(Sd.) Sree Modun Mohun Bhattacharjya.
(Sd.) Sree Parbati Churn Tarkathirthha.
(Sd.) Sree Anund Chunder Sarbabhoum.
(Sd.) Sree Syama Churn Bidyaratna.
(Sd.) Sree Krishna Sunder Darshanshiroratna.
(Sd.) Sree Shital Chunder Vedantabaghish.
(Sd.) Sree Raj Kumar Nyaratna.
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