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67. Evidence of BABU RAJANI PRASAD NEOGY, Excise Deputy Collector, Mymensingh.
(With marginal notes by Mr. A. Earle, Collector of Mymensingh.)
1. Experience as Excise Deputy Collector for
one year and nine months.
2. The definitions may be accepted. I have no
experience about charas.
The definition may be accepted, but I may here
note that seeds are found in all the varieties of
ganja sold in this district. Flat ganja of small
twigs is known as round ganja in this district.
Charas is not used in this district. Bhang is also
known by the name siddhi. Ganja is not gene-
rally known by any other name.
I agree.
A. E.
3. Bhang grows wild in many parts of this
district. It grows abun-
dantly in the Kishorgunj,
Jamalpur, and Netrokona sub-divisions.
4. It is known by the names bhang and siddhi.
5. A dry climate, moist and low soil, and
scanty rainfall are favourable to the growth of
the bhang plant, but the plant grows on fertile
soil if left fallow, whether it be high or low.
6. It is ordinarily scattered, but the growth is
dense on low and moist soil.
7 to 13. There is no cultivation of hemp in this
district. Hence I am unable to supply any in-
formation on these heads.
14. (a) and (b) Not prepared in this district.
(c) Almost all over the district for home con-
sumption and for medicinal purposes. It is gene-
rally kept in small quantities, as the possession
of more than a poah of bhang is illegal.
15. The preparations of bhang are always from
(b) wild plants in this district, The branches of
the plant are cut and dried in the sun. The
detached leaves are then stored.
(A) Bhang is not generally smoked. It is
only used as a make-shift when ganja is not
available. The immediate preparations for smok-
ing are the same as those for ganja The bhang
leaves are steeped in water for some time and
then made into a ball by pressing them between
the palm of the hand and the thumb. The ball
is then enclosed in a tobacco leaf and cut into
very small pieces. They are again pressed into a
ball and again cut until the whole is reduced to a
very fine powder. It is then smoked.
(B) Bhang is boiled with milk, sugar, and
cocoanut to the consistency of a paste. It is then
made into balls and taken on the occasion of
certain Hindu religious festivals. Another pre-
paration for eating bhang is made by frying the
green leaves in ghi (clarified butter). The fried
leaves are taken with sugar. Powdered bhang
also enters into the constitution of certain sweet-
meats, which are taken for producing intoxica-
tion.
(C) For drinking bhang is made into a solu-
tion with salt and water and sometimes with milk
and sugar. Spices are also mixed with the above
solutions.
Ganja is generally smoked. The immediate
preparations for smoking are exactly those de-
scribed for bhang. I am not aware of ganja
being eaten or drunk.
16. Bhang is generally prepared by the people
in their houses. It can be prepared from the
hemp plant wherever grown. Ganja cannot be so
prepared. I have no experience about charas.
17. There are no particular classes of people
for making preparations of bhang, but the con-
sumers make the preparations themselves (vide
answers to questions 23 and 24).
18. Ganja and bhang both deteriorate in their
intoxicating properties by keeping; but bhang,
which has been in store for one year, is said to be
best in its medicinal properties. They do not
quite loose their effect in time. With ordinary
care bhang keeps good for a year and ganja for
a year-and-a-half. Exposure to heat and mois-
ture are the principal causes of deterioration, as
the resinous constituent is dissipated thereby.
Bhang is also generally eaten away by worms
whose growth it is rather difficult to prevent.
The deterioration may to a great extent be pre-
vented by keeping the drug in tin-lined boxes.
19. Ganja is generally used for smoking. On
enquiry I have come to learn that ganja is some-
times eaten with sugar and sometimes drunk in
solution with bhang, sugar, and milk, but such
practices are extremely rare.
20. The following classes of the people smoke
ganja. The proportion of each class is also noted
against it.
Per cent.
Boatmen and fishermen
25
Chandals
12
Malis
50
Dhobis
12
Bhadralok
6
Sudras or serving classes
25
Muchies
50
Banias
12
Bagdis
50
Sanyasis
95
21. Round ganja, as defined by Dr. Prain, is
not liked in this district. The other varieties
are used indiscriminately throughout the district.
I agree.
A. E.
22. Charas is not at all
used in this district.
23. Bhang is smoked very rarely by habitual
consumers of ganja if the latter drug cannot be
procured with the utmost endeavours. It is only
so used by the lower classes of consumers who
happen to be very poor.
24. The following classes (a) eat bhang—
Per cent.
Up-country men
30
Bhadrolok*
25
Artizans
50
Sudras
50
Cultivators
30
Banias
30
Bagdis
30
Fishermen and boatmen
30
Chandals
30
The following classes (b) drink bhang—
Per cent.
Up-country men
40
Bhadralok*
20
Sudras
30
Artizans
40
Cultivators
30
Banias
30
Bagdis
30
Fishermen and boatmen
40
Chandals
30
* Middle classes.