21
12. Evidence of MR. A. CUMINE, Acting Collector, Dhulia, Khandesh.
1. Personally I have not had any, being a new
- c o m e r t o t h e d i s t r i c t . T h e C o m m i s s i o n h a v i n g
desired that I should direct my attention specially
to the question of to what extent, if any, the wild
tribes of Khandesh are concerned in this matter,
my answers refer to them alone. It will be seen
that they are very little concerned indeed. My
information has been obtained from mamlatdars,
as I could not make personal enquiries in the short
time allowed me.
2. Information for the district of Khandesh in
general will be given by Rao Bahadur Sitaram
Damodhar.
3. In the tracts inhabited by wild tribes the
hemp plant does not, so far as I know, grow
spontaneously at all.
7. In the tracts inhabited by the wild tribes
there is no cultivation of the hemp plant at all.
13. No.
14. None are prepared in the tracts in which
the wild tribes live.
The wild tribes to whom the following answers
refer are
—
(1) The Bhils—not the Bhils of the plains, as
they are hardly wild tribes now, but the
Bhils along the base of the Satpuras in
Shahada and Chopda talukas. (2) The
Tadvis of Savda taluka. (3) The Maochis
of the Nawapur Peta. (4) The Pawras of
the Taloda taluka. (5) The Konkanas of
the Pimpalner taluka.
19. Charas is not used at all. The Pawras do
not use ganja at all. Such of the others as use
ganja use it only for smoking.
20. There cannot be said to be different classes
amongst these people.
Charas is not smoked at all. The proportion
o f ganja smokers is perhaps as follows:
—
Amongst Bhils, about 4 per cent.: amongst
Tadvis, about 2 or 3 per cent.: amongst Maochis,
1/10th per cent.: amongst Pawras, 0 per cent.:
amongst Konkanas, about 2 per cent.
21. The Bhils in Shahada are said to prefer the
round; in Chopda the flat. The Tadvis the round.
The Maochis apparently no preference. The Pawras
do not use any. The Konkanas can get onl y t he
flat; their preference is not known.
22. None.
23. No.
24. None.
25. Bhang and charas are not used at all.
None of my informants says that the use of ganja
is increasing. There is not enough evidence to
say that it is decreasing.
26. None are excessive consumers. The Pawras
are not consumers at all. Of the Chopda Bhils,
all the consumers are probably habitual moderate.
Of the Shahada Bhils apparently about one
- f o u r t h o f t h e c o n s u m e r s a r e h a b i t u a l m o d e r a t e ,
and the rest occasional moderate. Of the Tadvis,
all the consumers are probably habitual moderate.
Of the Maochis, all the consumers are said to be
occasional moderate. Of the Konkanas, all habi
- t u a l m o d e r a t e .
27. There cannot be said to be different classes
or different habits of life or circumstances amongst
these wild tribes, I think.
28. For habitual moderate consumers the
average allowance per diem seems to be about half
a tola amongst Bhils and Tadvis. Half an anna's
worth is said to last a Konkana a week. For
Maochis no information can be given. Pawras
do not use any.
29. The Maochis are said not to mix anything
with their ganja. The Bhils, Tadvis, and Kon
- k a n a s o r d i n a r i l y m i x t o b a c c o w i t h t h e i r g a n j a :
they say it increases the effect and improves the
taste. The Chopda Bhils add that, it prevents the
ganja injuring the lungs. Nothing is exception
-ally mixed with the ganja. Dhatura is not so
m i x e d . I d o n o t k n o w o f a n y p r e p a r a t i o n s o l d t o
mix with ganja.
30. Ganja is apparently smoked in solitude,
but there does not seem to be any concealment
in it. Neither women nor children smoke it.
3 2 . T h e r e a r e n o s u c h c u s t o m s .
33. I don't think it can be said that there is
any public opinion on the point. There is no
hemp plant in those parts, and no custom of
worshipping it.
35. As the tracts inhabited by these tribes
march with Native States, I think it would be
very difficult to enforce any prohibition of the
use of ganja. The prohibition would, I think,
occasion serious discontent among the consumers:
all the more so because they would feel that it is
totally uncalled for. But the consumers are far
too few for their discontent to amount to a
political danger. The consumers probably are,
like the other members of the wild tribes, hard
drinkers already.
36. There is not, I think, any reason for
thinking alcohol is being substituted for ganja.
The wild tribes have always been very fond of
drink.
13. Evidence of MR. W. W. DREW, Acting Collector, Ratnagiri.
1. I have consulted all the medical officers in
charge of dispensaries and the subordinates of
the Abkari Department, after instructing them
to find out through the shopkeepers their prin
- c i p a l c u s t o m e r s , a n d o b t a i n a l l t h e i n f o r m a t i o n
possible from them. The information relates to
the Ratnagiri district only.
3. There is no cultivation in this district.
14. There is no manufacture in this district.
19. Ganja is taken in the form of a drink called
"ghota." It is taken as a remedy against dysen
- t e r y b y p e o p l e o f a l l s o r t s i n t h e f o r m o f p i l l s m i x e d
with sugar.
20. My subordinates report a total of about
8,000 out of 1,106,000, or 0.72 per cent. Besides
bairagis and such like, the remaining consumers
are drawn from all classes.
21. I can give no information on this point.
22. Charas is not used in the district.