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76. Evidence of RAJA TENDUK, Manager, Government Estate, Kalimpong,
District Darjeeling.
With reference to the questions sent to me for
answers regarding the use and effects of ganja, I
have the honour to state that I have very little
experience on the subject, and it is only within
the last few years that I have known it to be an
intoxicating drug.
The plant grows in abundance in this district
at an elevation of 1,000 to 4,000 feet, but its use
is almost unknown in the interior amongst the
Bhuteas and Lepchas; but there is a sect amongst
the Nepalese, called sadhus, who indulge in the
use of ganja.
But whenever I have come across these smokers,
I have always found them to be somewhat eccen-
tric in their opinions and somewhat cracked in
their brains.
I believe it is deleterious to health to some
extent.
77. Evidence of BABU GOUR DAS BYSACK, Retired Deputy Collector, Calcutta.
1. As Deputy Collector I had charge of the
Abkari in several districts of Bengal during my
incumbency of 28 years.
2. Whatever definition Dr. Prain might have
given of the drugs, they are known in Bengal by
the name of ganja, charas, and siddhi or bhang.
3. The Rajshahi District is the only district in
Bengal in which the hemp plant is cultivated and
grown under Government protection. It also
grows in other districts, such as Bhagalpur,
Mirzapur, and Ghazipur, but to what extent it is
impossible for me to say. Several police cases of
illicit cultivation of hemp in certain districts came
before me for trial. From this it may be pre-
sumed that the soil of Bengal throughout the
country is adapted to its spontaneous growth.
4. As far as I am aware, the hemp plant goes
by the name of "ganja gach."
5. It seems that moist alluvial soil is suited to
its growth.
6. In two or three districts, the names of which
I forget just now, I was shewn some wild plants
of hemp which were scattered about, but whether
cultivated or spontaneously grown, I could not
ascertain.
7. In Bogra and Dinajpur the hemp plant is
also cultivated.
10. The cultivators of hemp do not form a spe-
cial class.
14. All the products of hemp are prepared in the
district of Rajshahi.
16. Bhang is prepared by the people in their
own houses. Ganja and charas cannot be prepared
from the wild plant.
18. These drugs deteriorate in time; for in-
stance, ganja, when fresh from Rajshahi, is pre-
ferred by the smokers to old ganja. I am under
the impression that, if kept air-tight, the drug
would not lose its intoxicating power.
19. Yes; but ganja and siddhi are also used for
the worship of Siva throughout India. Charas
was not known to Siva: it is a modern prepara-
tion.
20. In Calcutta ganja and charas are used
mostly by the Hindustanis, who mostly live in
and about Bara Bazar. It is very difficult to
ascertain the exact proportion, but, as far as I
can gather, ganja is smoked by about 50 or 60 per
cent. of low classes of Hindustanis, Marwaris,
specially Marwari Brahmins, Kahars, Kurmis, and
other low classes. The exception among the as-
cetic fakirs and sanyasis is one to 100 souls. As a
general rule they all smoke ganja, but not charas,
which is not so strong, nor so very cheap. As
regards the Bengalis, the people of Bag Bazar
were at one time notorious for ganja-smoking,
but their number in other parts of the town was
much smaller. Compared to other castes, the
proportion of the Bengali smokers of ganja and
charas was and is considerably low; but the use
of ganja is gradually increasing, because it is less
expensive than alcohol. Charas is consumed by
about 10 per cent.: it is mostly confined to well-
to-do people of the above classes. Percentage is
about one.
21. Generally the natives who smoke ganja
hardly know any difference between the three
forms.
22. The charas imported from Nepal, Thibet, is
chiefly used. It is also imported from Kabul or
that direction.
23. I am not aware that bhang is anywhere
used for smoking.
24. Bhang is invariably taken in a liquid form
and is never eaten; but it is sometimes swallowed
by habitual consumers when travelling by rail.
It might be said that it is eaten with the food,
when it is used as a condiment in the preparation
of dishes. A capital native cuisine de chef, with-
out our knowledge, prepared some dishes with
bhang that were more than ordinarily toothsome,
and were highly relished by me and my friends;
but the effect after the lapse of an hour or so was
painful; we felt giddy and restless till the next
morning. The proportion among Bengalis is
about one per cent.
25. Ganja was largely smoked some years ago
by the Bengalis of Calcutta, notoriously by the
inhabitants of Bag Bazar, but it decreased while
alcohol began to spread its sway. It has begun
to increase again, because alcohol has become
more expensive.
No appreciable fluctuation in the use of charas
and bhang is visible.
26. Of the 50 or 60 per cent. of the Hindus-
tanis, Marwaris, and others who are addicted
to ganja, about one-tenth may be taken as habi-
tual excessive consumers and the rest moderate.
Of the occasional consumers the proportion is
larger, but they do not smoke excessively—about
five in a thousand may be excessive. The pro-
portion of charas-smokers among the above classes
is about 20 per cent,: of the habitual charas-
smokers, five in a thousand may be taken as "ex-
cessive" and the rest moderate. As for occasional
smokers, their number is smaller than that of the