43. Evidence of BABU PRAN KUMAR, DAS, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector and Personal Assistant to the Commisioner of Burdwan

1. I was special Excise Inspector of the Dacca Division in 1878 and 1879. I was Excise Deputy Collector of Mymensingh in 1880-81 and of Gaya in 1882 and 1883. I was on special excise duty under the Board of Revenue in 1888-89.

2. Yes, the definitions may be accepted. The names used are bhang or siddhi, charm, gan ia.

3. In almost every district of Bengal and Behar it grows spontaneously. I have seen iungles of it grown wild in Dacca, Mymensingh, Faridpur, Gaya, and Murshidabad.

4. Bhang and gania. They refer to the same plant, male and female.

5. I have seen it growing wild both in damp and dry places, i.e., in the damp districts of Eastern Bengal, as also in the very dry district of Gaya. Moist soil is good for it. Soil mixed with manure promotes its growth. I have seen plants regularly watered grown exuberantly. In gardens and within houses also it grows up vigorously.

6. I have seen very densely grown plants on river banks and round wells. It also grows scattered within houses. Seeds thrown or falling from plants lead to their growth.

7. (a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) The North-Western Provinces and Monghyr bhang is the favourite. The hemp plant is cultivated in Raishahi and Bogra.

12. I prosecuted and also tried some cases of nourishing and promoting the growth of hemp plants. There was ample evidence of nourishment, such as soil properly prepared, watering, manuring, and otherwise taking care of, but in no case was there any evidence of cultivation. 1, however, suspected that it was cultivated in a few cases. In Gaya I found plants grown in a field and being taken care of iust as other crops. I found gania plants grown in Dacca, Mymensingh, and Gaya. The practice is very limited. Growing gania plants require care and nourishment. The male plants were extirpated in such cases to allow free room to the female plants to grow up. Generally the gania smokers grow it in places hidden from the public view. Inside house compounds a few only are grown. The largest I saw was in a field in Gaya, may be 20 or 25.

13. Yes, to Raishahi and Bogra districts.

14. (a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) Yes.

16. Yes, it used to be largely prepared by a large number of people in their houses. Before 1878 there was a general impression that bhang preparation was not illegal. Many did not know that it was an exciseable article. In 1878 a special excise establishment was appointed, and since then the excise detective establishment has been increased. The excise officers as well as the police since then have detected many cases of preparation and possession of bhang in large quantities, and people have now come to know the law on the subject, and I think its preparation in houses without licenses has much decreased.

It can be prepared from hemp plant wherever grown, but bhaug prepared from plants grown wild in Bengal is not so good. Monghyr and North-Western Provinces bhang is considered much superior, and is the favourite. In Bengal people prepare it for their own consumption, seldom for sale.

Ganja can also be prepared from wild hemp plant if great care is taken and the plants are well nourished and the male plants grown with them extirpated.

I have not known of charas being clandestinely prepared in Bengal.

18. These drugs deteriorate by keeping and lose their effect in about a year. If well seasoned and proper care taken it keeps even for two years. The leaves, dry up and gradually lose the narcotic effects. By keeping the gania in air-tight boxes, safe from exposure and dampness, the deterioration may be delayed.

19. Yes, but gania mixed with flour and sugar is taken as a sweetmeat by a few of the richer consumers. A mixture of gania with spirit is taken, I am told, by fever patients.

20. Ganja is taken generally by the lower classes—cultivators, domestic servants, boatmen, fishermen, and other labourers. Charms is taken by a very few people generally of better classes. It is of higher value. Kabulis also take it. Gauia is largely smoked by sanyasis (religious ascetics) and fakirs, i.e., religious- mendicants, both Hindus and Muhammadans take it largely.

21. The practice differs in different districts. In East Bengal districts flat and flat chur are only used. Round is seldom used, and there the smokers had told me that round gania causes headache and was bad in effect. In Burdwan, again, round and round chur are favourites and flat is not used. Here the smokers say flat does not agree with them. I think it is all habit and prejudice, and that there is no inherent difference between the flat and round.

22. Foreign. North-Western Provinces.

23. In a few cases I heard of the very poorer classes smoking bhang or rather the leaves of wild hemp plant. As far as I can now remember, I think I learnt of the smoking in Tippera and Dacca districts.

24. The Hindus drink bhang all over Bengal and Behar, specially on festive occasions. Bhaug is. eaten with sweets called majum. It is taken only by the richer classes and in towns. Muhammadans take maium. Bhang is very little consumed by them. It is largely taken by upcountry men.

25. The use of ganja has decreased from over 9,336 maunds in 1872-73 to 5,451 maunds in 1892-K , whereas the revenue has increased from Rs. 11,89,706 to Rs. 23,86,066, i.e., gania is now taxed more than treble than it was twenty years ago. The retail selling price to consumers, to my knowledge, has increased in some places in the last fourteen years by more than 100 per cent. Its use is regulated by its retail selling price and also by the prices at which country liquor and opium are sold. A large number of its consumers belong to the same classes who drink country liquor or take opium. When price of liquor is raised, some of its consumers take to ganja. So also with respect to opium and vice verad. It will be seen from Statement A that in Burdwan in the out-still period the consumption of gania materially decreased and with the introduction of distillery system its consumption increased. The consumption of excise bhang has increased, but I believe the actual consumption of this article has decreased. The illicit manufacture at home has been very much reduced, and people now take bhang sold at retail shops. Formerly most people took bhang stozed up by them, i.e., by collecting leaves of wild plants. Consumption of charas has increased, but its use is restricted to the richer classes of the towns only. In the whole of Bengal in 1892-93, 11 maunds 26 seers were sold, and of this 8 maunds 11 seers in Calcutta alone. In the interior it is very little taken ; in villages never.

26. Ganja consumers.    Bhang consumers.
(a) 70 per cent.    10 per cent.
(b) 10    .1f    Scarcely any, except
up-country men.
(c) 16 per cent.    80 per cent.

27. (a) Domestic servants, such as cooks, bearers, waiters, darwans, syces and coachmen, boatmen, fishermen, cultivators, ordinary day-labourers, coal-miners, etc.; (b) sauyasis and fakirs (religious mendicants); (c) some domestic servants and men of better means; (d) men of depraved habits of the lower classes who indulge in excess whenever they have the means to do so.
I know of Brahmins, Khatris, Kavasths, and Vaidyas, and also better class Muhammadans smoking it, but their number is indeed very few. Generally speaking, those whose pursuits cause much physical strain on them take gania. To my knowlege I know of only a very few—in fact not more than two or three—leading an intellectual life, taking ganja.

28. Gania is now sold generally for Rs. 16 to
20 a seer.
The poorer consumers buy one or two pice worth at a time and not by measurement.
(a) Two pice to an alma a day.
(b) Two annas to four annas a day.

29. With ganja tobacco is used. This is more for economy. I heard of two or three cases of smoking dhatura at Gaya. Dhatura seed ground with siddhi is consumed, but by a very few people. Dhatura is used to make it more intoxicating. 1 may note that dhatura-smoking is considered good for asthma and this conduces to its use in some cases of asthma.
Bhang massala is sold in a few of the large towns. Its ingredients are generally anise, pepper, dried rose-leaves, and poppy seeds, but it differs in different places.

30. All these three drugs are generally taken by the great body of the consumers in company, but the better classes smoke g,ania in solitude, as it is considered unbecoming for men of better means to smoke it. Bhang is taken by better classes in company.
I have no knowledge of charas consumers. Genie is consumed almost exclusively by the men. It is only women of ill-fame and women of the lower classes, such as mehtars, who take it. Bhang is taken even by women, but very little. It is not usual for children to take any of these drugs.

31. Yes, after some time, i.e., when persons take it for some days together, the habit begins to be formed. It is difficult for a confirmed habitual smoker to break off the habit. I know of only few cases in which the habit once formed was given up. In case of bhang there is no tendency for moderate habit to develop into the excessive. In fact cases of excessive consumption of bhang are rare, In the case of gania there is the risk. I cannot, however, say that the tendency of the moderate habit is to develop into the excessive.

32. Bhang is drunk on the last day of Durga Puia by a large number of Hindus, who do not drink it usually. It is also largely taken on the Nowami day and the Lachmi Puia day. It is regarded by religious people as essential. It is generally taken in small quantities. Among the upper classes it is not likely to lead to the formation of the habit of taking it. Gania is largely taken on Chayat Sankranti festivities and Sivratri days and at the social and eligious ceremonies of bairagies (Vaishnavs).

33. Ganja is held in disrepute. For men of means and position it is considered very low and unbecoming to take it. Public opinion 1-1 against the consumption of gania. It is considered as a deleterious drug—injurious to health and intellectual pursuits. Socially a man who takes gania is looked down upon. The term " gania smoker" is an epithet often used as expressive of opprobrium.
In the puia (worship) of Mahadev gania is much consumed. In Eastern Bengal in pujas called Tri Nath mela, Mahadev is worshipped by a concourse of gania smokers. In Behar in bathans (cowsheds in fields) much gania is consumed and the god Mahadev is worshipped. In Monghyr the memory of a sadhn known as Sabs Bahu where bis last ceremonies had been observed, people gather and smoke gania.

34. I fear the habitual gania smokers would consider it a serious privation to forego its use. I have servants who smoke gania habitually. One of them has been now over twelve years with us, and we have done our best to make him give up the habit ; he also tried to give it up several times, but failed. I calculate there will be about one and a half lakhs of habitual ganja smokers in Bengal. I take it that about 250 people consume a seer of gania a day and that about 600 seers are sold a day in the Bengal Presidency.

35. I do not think it would be at all feasible to prohibit the use of bhang. It may be possible considerably to reduce and restrict the use of gania by stopping its cultivation and prohibiting its use, but it would necessitate the maintaining of an elaborate detective agency. Among the habitual consumers it would certainly cause discontent, but not amounting to any political danger. The prohibition is sure to be followed by recourse to both alcoholic stimulants and opium. It has been practically conclusively found that when gania is not easily procurable people take liquor or opium.

36. When the outstill system was reintroduced in Bengal, 1878 to 1889, and liquor was sold very cheap, many ganja consumers had to my knowledge taken to country liquor. From 1878 and 1879 as well as in subsequent years I made enquiries on the point and learnt of several such cases, and people said that country spirit was much less injurious than ganja and the change was good. With the reintroduction of distillery system from 1889, and consequent high rise in the price of country liquor, the consumption of ganja increased, and the lower classes of country spirit drinkers as well as gentlemen classes of small means have taken to gauia.

37. Charas is said to be rather stronger than gania and its effects remain longer. I was told that when in a hurry or for long endurance it is taken.

38. I do not think so. Flat may be weaker than round and chur, as it is less resinous and not so much agglutinated or closely adherent.

39. Smoking is considered more and quickly effective and therefore more iniurious.

40. Siddhi is used as a medicine for bowel complaints and to improve digestion. I have seen kabirajes using it. In fact, it is not properly considered as an intoxicating exciseahle article. Bhang is also given to cattle. Gania is used with cocoanut oil as a medicine for itch and fresh sores. Ganja is smoked for gonorrhcea, asthma, and hydrocele.

41. Charas is not considered beneficial, but the consumers said it enables them to endure fatigue and hunger longer.
Gania is said to give enduring power and to alleviate fatigue. It is also considered efficacious to withstand malarial effects and damp climate and exposure. My ganja-smoking servants had less malarious fever, and they said it alleviated pain. But it is said to produce diarrhcea or dysentery. One of our cooks, a confirmed gania smoker, died of dysentery. One of my old servants, a habitual gania smoker, suffers often from diarrhcea with a tendency to dysentery. He is a moderate smoker. I believe that only a small number take ganja for medicinal purposes. They get into the habit by example of others and by mixing in the company of its smokers.

42. I find even moderate use after some years is not entirely harmless. Gania specially affects the intellect and vitality. I have not heard of bhang used moderately producing any evil effect.

43. They are inoffensive.

44. Bhang causes pleasantness, makes one talk and laugh, and creates hunger. I believe some intoxication is caused. The duration of effect depends upon the constitution, habit, and quantity taken. Generally the effect is supposed to last up to the time some food is taken, say two or three hours. It brings on sleep and depression follows. One who takes it habitually acquires a longing for it, and the want of it causes uneasiness.
Immediate effect of ganja is exhilaration and excitement, and consumers say refreshing. It certainly produces a certain amount of intoxication. It allays hunger. The effect lasts an hour or so if taken moderately. Want creates longing and uneasiness.

45. (a) No marked effect is immediately observable, but with time, it struck me, its use produced iniurious effects.
(b) and (c) Not in all cases.
(d) I have known it causing dysentery in some cases.
(e) It perhaps induces laziness. I have not known moderate use impairing moral sense any more than is to be generally found among the non-smokers of the lower classes.
(f) It affects' I believe, somewhat the intellect. Moderate use I have not known to produce insanity. I know of a few cases amongst geutlemen class whose intellects were blunted.

46. Excessive use to my knowledge has produced both temporary and permanent insanity, at least we thought ganja was the cause of the insanity. In some cases, however, the persons used also to take other drugs—alcohol and opium,—but the insanity came on when their use was given up or reduced and gania taken in excess. In one case I know by giving up ganja the sufferer is now better, but he is now idiotic. In other cases I have not enquired of the previous history or antecedents. Excessive use impairs the moral sense as also induces habits of debauchery. It does impair the constitution and makes one lazy and averse to work.

47. In one case I know the intellect of the son of a moderate consumer was blunt. I have made no enquiry on the point. The use of these drugs is a hereditary habit in this way, that it is consumed generally by the same class of men, and the children growing up, seeing their fathers and elders smoking gania, look upon it as inoffensive, and when they become men they take to it without thought or deliberation.

48. In case of excessive use, I have known the evil effect serve as a lesson and warning to the children.

49. I have heard of its being so used in solitary cases. A Hindu gentleman once facetiously said that after taking spirits and smoking madak he closed the evening with a pull at gania, which he said was the whip.

50. Excessive use has, I was told, a tendency to produce impotence.

51. The bad characters generally take some drug—ganja, rnadak, or chandu. Some also take country liquor or tari, specially in Behar. I have heard of cases in which offenders, before committing dacoity or murder, fortified themselves by taking gania. The commission of the clime in such cases is first fixed upon and then some narcotic drug is taken to stir them up.

52. Excessive use of gania at one time is known to create almost temporary insanity or wildness, in some instances has led to the commission of violent crimes, specially grievous hurt or murder. The excessive use of ganja makes one bad-tempered, violent, and quarrelsome.

53. Excessive indulgence at one time in some incites one to commit unpremeditated violence. I have heard of such cases, but cannot now remember all facts.

54. Yes, ganja is so used, not bhang; its effects are passive.

55. Yes; I know of drugging eases in which ganja was used. I would recommend the Commission to study the special reports of these cases. Last year a few cases occurred of this nature in this division.

56. I have known dhatura smoked with gania, and in drugging cases generally dhatura is used. It intensifies intoxication, and when taken by people not accustomed to it, it has serious effects —makes one quite insensible,—and I know of cases of death from dhatura-poisoning mixed with gania or tan.

57. I have not heard of charas being eaten or drunk. Gania at times is, I am told, taken after being fried with ghee, sweets, etc., as maium. This is taken only by the richer classes.

58. It is generally working well, with careful supervision and management, and by raising the duty and license fee and thus regulating the retail price its consumption may be reduced.

62. It would not be feasible to control or restrict the cultivation of bhang. It grows wild everywhere. It is generally considered almost innocuous and beneficial in some respects. I do not think it necessary to do any more than levy a small duty on bhang stored and to enforce payment of license fee for its sale.

63. No. Once it was suggested that Govern. nient should take the wholesale vend monopoly in its own hands, as is done in the case of opium.
I consulted several officers and discussed the proposal with many. I think the present system is better. There is no reason for Government to take the wholesale trade in its bands. All that is necessary is to exercise strict control and supervision over the work of the wholesale vendors both in the producing and importing districts.

65. The duty on gania for the last twelve years has been more than doubled. It was Rs. 4 on chur gania per seer in 1878, and this year it is Rs. 9. The license fee for its retail sale by the auction system bas been very considerably raised. In 1878 the vendor paid Government Rs. ft for each seer of gania sold. Last year it paid Rs. 101. This year, with the increase made in the rate of duty,—vide Board's Circular Order No. 95.B., dated 23rd November 1893,—it is still more heavily taxed. Whenever the rate of duty of any particular article is increased, I think it should also be considered whether the duty on other exciseable articles should not be increased. Of late years duty on all articles has been raised. It should be different for different parts of the country according to its special circumstances.

66. Yes ; according to the resinous agglutinated intoxicating matter contained in each kind. The rates of duty, as fixed by Board's Circular No. 95.B., dated 23rd November 1893, I fully approve.

67. No.

68. Yes. If smoking at shops be prevented it would not he considered a great hardship. As a rule, people buy gania at the shops and go home and smoke.

69. No. The Excise officers make their own estimates of requirements and propose shops at places where there is demand. I have, however, never heard of any complaint as regards the sites selected by Government officers for gania shops.

70. I have no information on the point. Dhatura is the only drug not taxed. It grows wild largely. lt is, however, little used. It is taken generally for medicinal purposes, and at times with gania or bbang to intensify intoxication, and it is also used for drugging purposes. It may be included among exciseable articles and its use restricted.