586
43. Moderate consumers are even not inoffen-
sive to their neighbours.
44. I have no experience.
45. Ganja-smokers are generally weak in
physique. Mental power is also affected by it;
morality is also depraved. I am told that in the
beginning the use of ganja increases appetite, but
afterwards decreases it. Yes; it impairs the moral
sense and induces laziness and habits of immoral-
ity, and deadens the intellect.
46. Excessive smoking produces insanity. I
know of one case in which a man of this district
having taken to excessive ganja-smoking became
insane; he survived the lunacy for seven years,
during the last four years of which he was in the
lunatic asylum, and he died of dysentery before
recovery.
53. Excessive indulgence in ganja-smoking
incites unpremeditated crime, such as assault and
murder.
56. So much as is known to me has been
answered in question 29.
58. As far as I know, the present system of
excise administration in respect of hemp is work-
ing well, and it requires no further improvement.
60. No ganja is produced in this province.
61. No charas is produced in this province.
62. There is no cultivation of hemp plant in
this province.
63. In my opinion the present system of whole-
sale and retail vend requires no improvement.
64. No.
65. The taxation of ganja is, I think, reason-
able.
66. Yes; chur or broken ganja contains no
stick, whereas the flat contains enough sticks
than the round; therefore in my opinion different
taxation is necessary for these three kinds of
ganja.
67. No.
68. There are only shops licensed for sale of
these drugs. In my view this kind of licensed
shops are better than any other system of selling
ganja.
69. Before opening of a ganja shop the wishes of
the people are not consulted. When anybody applies
to open a new shop in certain locality, the district
Officer considers it; and after getting sanction of
the Excise Commissioner, he puts it to auction on
some dates fixed, and sells it to the highest bidder.
Before opening a ganja shop, local public opinion
is necessary.
70. It is not known to me that hemp drugs
are imported from Native States. In my opinion
the duties of the ganjas used are really paid. I
don't think that there is any general use of un-
taxed drugs.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.—I was manager of a saw-mill, and
am now paid Secretary to the Tezpur Raiyats' Asso-
ciation. I am a native of Assam. The Raiyats'
Association is not interested in temperance.
Question 2.—The wild hemp springs up in
gardens and good lands about the village, which
have been accidentally enriched by manure. It does
not grow in the jungles, but it springs up of it-
self as a weed. People do not sow it. Some of it
dies, some is used as cattle medicine. If it is
gathered and stored, or if it is cultivated in any
way, the man becomes subject to punishment, but
not otherwise.
Question 20.—Except among the Doms and
Haries, the Assamese use the drug very little. These
classes do not form a large proportion of the popu-
lation. Ganja is used in most villages by a few
people.
Question 59.—Since the hemp drugs have such
bad effects on consumers, I think it would be well
to prohibit their use, and I think this ought to be
done. I think spirits also should be prohibited.
So far, Assam has not suffered severely from
liquor. It will in time. The effects of ganja are
already felt. The man who takes ganja goes crazy
and annoys his neighbours. I have known one
case of that, apart from knowing that there are
cases in the asylum. Ganja gives rise to murder
and assaults. The ganja-taker becomes suddenly
excited and does these things. I have seen
assaults two or three times in this town by people
whom I knew to be ganja-smokers. When I was
steamer agent at Birnath, the Doms, my neighbours,
used to quarrel under the influence of ganja, and
we had to drive them off. The fact that such
assaults and other offences arise from ganja does
not come out in trials, because the people do not
plead that they have taken the drug. They pre-
fer to say that they never committed the offences
at all. The Doms do not drink liquor, nor do the
Haries. The Doms at Birnath did not drink
liquor. I knew they smoked ganja, because I saw
them smoking as I passed along the road, and
when they quarrelled, the neighbours said they
were ganja-smokers. I have never heard of any
advantage from ganja-smoking.
Question 69.—I never heard of any shop being
prevented from being established in consequence
of people having objected. If the raiyats were
asked, they would often object. The Assamese
generally eat opium. The foreigners drink and
smoke ganja. The two classes are at enmity.
47. Evidence of RADHA NATH CHANGKAKOTI, Brahmin, Proprietor, "Radha Nath"
Printing Press; Municipal Commissioner; Member of Local Board; Secretary
to the Upper Assam Association; and Secretary to the Government Girls'
School, Dibrugarh.
1. I live among ganja consumers, and have
therefore every opportunity of obtaining inform-
ation regarding the drug.
2. Flat and round ganja are known in my dis-
trict, and both are generally known by the name
bhang.
3. The hemp plant is seen to grow spontaneously
everywhere in Assam.
4. Known by two names, called jungly and
mohini bhang. The former is called that which
grows spontaneously.