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34. Evidence of RAO BAHADUR V. H. SHIKHRE, Brahmin, Huzur Deputy Col-
lector, Alibagh, Kolaba District.
1. I have made personal enquiries with a few
persons at Alibagh, who smoke ganja.
2. Charas is not smoked in this district, and
consequently nothing is known about it by the
people here. Nothing is known of the definitions
given here, as the hemp plant is not cultivated
and manufactured in this district; what is i
m -
ported for sale and smoked is called ganja, which
appears to be of a mixed variety, viz ., flat and
round ganja ; what is used for drinking is called
bhang, consisting of smaller leaves or "patti"
selected or remaining from the longer leaves of
ganja.
3. Not known. It does not grow spontane-
ously in the Kolaba district.
4, 5 and 6. Not known here.
7. None in the Kolaba district.
8. Requires no answer.
9. Not known, as the plant is not cultivated
here.
10, 11 and 12. Not known.
13. Cultivation is not restricted in the presi
-
dency of Bombay. But restrictions are placed
on its import, export, and sale—vide Bombay Act
V of 1878.
14. Not in this district.
15 and 16. Not known. But ganja, when
brought home from the shop of the farmer, is
prepared for smoking, thus—(A). It is kept in
water for some time and then squeezed by hands
till all impure water passes away. It is then
mixed with dry tobacco either in equal or half
quantity and smoked. (B) Eating of ganja is not
known here save for medicinal purposes; what is
used for drinking is called "bhang," a liquid pr
e - p a r a t i o n m a d e b y t h e p e o p l e g e n e r a l l y i n t h e i r
own houses. (C) The smaller leaves of ganja
selected for the purpose are first carefully washed
by water so as to remove all impure matter there
-
from, and then mixed with spices, such as pepper,
poppy seed, almonds, saffron, dried rose flowers
(buds), etc. The whole mixture is pounded on
a stone, to which then is added milk and sugar ;
the liquid thus prepared is then passed through
a piece of cloth by way of filtering it and drunk.
Those who cannot afford to use the spices drink
it without them.
1 7 . N o t k n o w n .
18. Ganja deteriorates by keeping after one
year, and becomes quite useless for smoking pur-
poses after three years. The causes of deteriora
-
tion are not known here.
19. The following answers generally relate to
ganja used for smoking purposes.
Ganja is also known to be used occasionally for
medical purposes to prevent diarrhœa, red dysen
-
tery, colic complaints and those from cold. It is
then mixed with other native medicines, Its
ashes are used for stopping ulcerations.
20. Ganja-smoking is not confined to any parti
-
cular locality or particular class of people. But
generally well-to-do people and those of the better
classes do not smoke it. It is generally used for
smoking by a majority of the people belonging to
what are called wandering tribes, such as gosains,
bairagis, fakirs and also by a few of the work-
ing classes. The proportion of the consumers
appears to be 1 to every 500 of the population of
the district, which is, according to the census of
1891, 594, 872.
21. The ganja imported here for sale is a mix-
ture of flat and round leaves of the hemp plant.
22. Not known.
23. No.
24 The people generally do not eat bhang. The
same answer applies here as is given against que
s - t i o n N o . 2 0 , e x c e p t t h a t t h e r e a r e v e r y f e w p e r s o n s
who regularly drink bhang, and that few only
occasionally do so on fast days and in the hot
weather. Their number, viz., of both the classes
may be taken to be about from 200 to 300 men
out of the whole population of the district.
25. It appears that the use of ganja is slightly
on the increase, as appears from the fact that in
1891-92 about 74 maunds were consumed for the
whole district, while in 1892-93, 75 (Bengal
maunds) ; but it should, at the same time, be
observed that the increase of one maund does not
necessarily show any increase in the number of
the consumers, as it is possible that during the
latter year more ganja might have been purchased
for uses other than smoking.
26. About three-fourths of the number (ques
tion 20) may be classed under (a) and the remain
- i n g o n e - f o u r t h u n d e r
( b )
a n d
( c ) ;
t h e r e a r e n o n e
under (d).
27. Fakirs, gosains and bairagis are generally
habitual excessive consumers, while habitual
moderate and occasional moderate consumers b
e - l o n g t o a l l c l a s s e s o f t h e p e o p l e , e s p e c i a l l y t h e
working and low classes. Occasional moderate
consumers are those who are advised to use ganja
as medicine. As regards contracting the habit
of smoking ganja, much depends upon the nature
of the society or company one moves into.
2 8 . ( a )
F r o m ½ t o 1 ½ t o l a s .
(b) From 3 to 5 tolas.
29. Tobacco is invariably mixed with ganja
before it is smoked ; dhatura and opium are very
seldom used. They are mixed for the purpose of
causing more intoxication. Bhang massala c
o n - s i s t s o f p e p p e r , a l m o n d s , p o p p y s e e d , c a r d a m o m s
saffron, nutmeg (jaifal) and dried rose buds.
30. Ganja smoking and bhang drinking is
practised to a greater extent in company than in
solitude. It is rarely that a consumer smokes or
drinks alone. Generally his neighbouring brother-
smokers gather together at his house for the pu
r - p o s e .
31. The habit is not easily formed, but when
once formed, it is difficult to break off. As
regards the last part of the question, it may be
remarked that it depends upon one's own circum
-
stances, both pecuniary and social, to develop his
moderate habit into excessive one.
32. Not known here. But sometimes the
liquid preparation of bhang is offered as a sacrifice
to the god Mahadev or Shiva, especially on the fast
days observed in his honour.
33. The people generally regard ganja smoking
as a vice, as it brings on intoxication more or less.
Ganja smoking and bhang drinking are said to
excite the religious sense of a man. The bhang
preparation, when occasionally taken in moderate