380
47. These drugs are used as an aphrodisiac.
The use of the drug is prevalent among the pros-
titutes.
54. Some of the criminals use these drugs to
make themselves strong to commit act of violence
or other vices.
55. Criminals in order to carry out their evil
designs induce their victims to partake of any of
these drugs and so stupefy themselves. Complete
stupefaction can be made without admixture.
62. I do not think it necessary to control the
cultivation of bhang as it is not injurious to the
people.
68. There is only one license shop at Kakina.
163. Evidence of MAHARAJA BAHADOOR SIR JOTEENDRA MOHUN TAGORE,
K.C.S.I., Calcutta.
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
your letter No. 1581, dated 7th instant, and en-
closures, and in reply to say that my knowledge
and experience of the subject of the questions
framed by the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission
are so limited that I regret I am unable to give
any precise information thereon. The fact is the
hemp plant is not cultivated in that part of the
country in which I am a resident, and over which
my personal knowledge extends, and that therefore
all I can say about the use of the three drugs re-
ferred to in the questions must necessarily be of a
general character, and as such will, I fear, fail to
enlighten the Commission in the way their elabo-
rate and exhaustive enquiries demand. I can
only say that ganja and bhang have been in use
in this country from a very ancient time, and it
appears that the latter especially has the sanction
of religion for its use, so much so that on the
last day of the great Durga Puja festival the
use of Bijoya, another name of bhang, is enjoin-
ed on every Hindu, and the custom of drinking a
quantity of it, however small, prevails almost in
every part of Lower Bengal, if not all over the
country. Besides, the drug is considered to be
of such an auspicious character that when pur-
chases are made on any festive occasion, bhang or
siddhi is the ingredient that occupies the first place
among all articles bought. The use of ganja is,
however, more confined to the lower and labour-
ing classes of the people than to those who occupy
higher positions in life, and are free from the ne-
cessity of manual labour. It is generally smoked
and seldom, if ever, eaten or drunk. The use, if
carried to excess, prejudicially affects the brain,
and proves deleterious in other ways; but moder-
ate indulgence acts, it is believed, as a prophylac-
tic against diseases incidental to the low lying
parts of the country which are subject to damp
and moisture. Its cheapness recommends it to
the poor people who require a stimulant to sustain
them in their physical labours, and in its effects is
less injurious on the whole than alcoholic drinks.
Bhang is a more innocent narcotic. It is general-
ly drunk and is medicinal to some extent in helping
digestion. It is largely used in the preparations
of the medicines administered by the Kabirajes
(native physicians) and is considered both as an
appetiser and aphrodisiac. Its use is more exten-
sive among the people of the North-West Pro-
vinces, many of whom take it regularly as a
stimulating and refreshing beverage every evening,
and some even twice a day; nor is the drink, as
far as I know, considered reprehensible from a
social point of view, for almost every male mem-
ber of a family uses it freely and openly, and does
not look upon its use in the light of a moral delin-
quency. When used in moderate and regulated
doses, it has seldom been known to have any in-
jurious effect.
Charas is much milder in its effects than ganja,
and used to be smoked by even the well-to-do
portion of the community in former times much
more than at present, the test of the people being
in recent times diverted to imported wines in pre-
ference, undoubtedly to the greater injury of their
health.
On the whole, in an economic and perhaps
sanitary point of view, the use of the aforesaid
indigenous drugs appears to me to be preferable to
the use of the ardent spirits and wines now rapid-
ly replacing them, to the great injury of the
moral and material well-being of our people.
As regards the prohibition of the use of any or
all of these drugs, I am inclined to think, having
regard to the very extensive use of them all the
country over, so as to make them identical
almost with the ordinary necessaries of life, that
the prohibition, if enforced, would cause serious
and general discontent, and, I fear, would lead
many to take to the use of ardent liquors; and
this, in my humble opinion, would be replacing
one evil by another of still greater magnitude.
The above is an imperfect expression of my
general views on the subject of the reference and
is based on information and observation which I
believe to be substantially correct.
164. Evidence of RAJA SURJYA KANTA ACHARJYA, BAHADUR, Zamindar,
Mooktagacha, Mymensingh.
I can speak from my experience as a native of
the district and resident landed proprietor of
24 years' standing, having personally looked after
and controlled the workings of my zamindari
since 1869.
I would beg to point out that my remarks,
whatever they may be worth, must be taken as
applying only to my own district (Mymensingh),
outside of which my knowledge of the subject is
not at all of a precise nature.
In this particular district the extent of my
property and the fact that I tour about a great
deal and see things for myself have brought me
into more or less intimate touch with all classes of
society.
Hemp or ganja does not, I believe, grow spon-
taneously in any part of this district, and it is
generally known only as ganja to the native
population.
It is a cold-weather crop, and is to the best of
my knowledge only cultivated on that side of the
district which abuts on the Jumna river. Though