46. Evidence of BABU GA.NENDRA NATH PAL, Rayasth, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Naogaon.
1. As special Excise Deputy Collector of Hughli and Howrah, Excise Deputy Collector of Noakhali and Backergunge and Subdivisional Officer of Naogaon, having the entire control and supervision of the cultivation, manufacture and export of ganja, I had opportunities of obtaining the information upon which the following answers are framed.
2. The definitions given by Dr. Prain may be accepted for the Bengal Province. The dried leaves of hemp plant, wild or cultivated, are locally called bhang.
Charas is unknown to this subdivision. The resinous matter which sticks to the feet when ganja is trodden by the cultivator is neither collected nor used as narcotic in this subdivision.
The local names of the ganja produced in Naogaon are—(1) chipti or flat ganja ; (2) rnehidal or flat ganja shorn of all its big branches; also locally called flat small twig ; (3) gol or rom a or round ganja ; (4) chur or broken ganja, whether obtained from flat or round ganja.
3. Hemp plants grow spontaneously in Jessore, Backergunge, Dacca, Hughli, Howrah and Noakhali. I think they are abundant in Jessore. These plants have no narcotic in them and are not used as gauja. Some people collect them and use as siddhi by drinking it.
4. It is known as siddhi or bhang, and refers exactly to the same plant.
5. I believe wild hemp may grow in any part of lower Bengal. The climate, soil, rainfall, elevation, etc., make very little difference in the growth of wild hemp. It begins to grow in the cold season, and dies as soon as the cold season is over.
6. The growth of the wild hemp plant is ordinarily dense.
a 2
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7 . (a) Yes.
(b) No.
(c) No.
(d) No.
The ganja is cultivated in a small tract of land about sixteen square miles in area, lying within the three districts of Rajsbahi, Dinajpur and Bogra.
8. Of late there has not been any increase er decrease in area. In 1891-92 there was some increase in the area under cultivation. The increase was due to the fact that in the year previous the crop on account of flood failed, and in consequence the price of ganja rose very high, which induced cultivators to extend the cultivation.
9. The cultivation of Naogaon ganja has been fully described in Babu Hem Chandra Kerr's report, paragraphs 38 to 52. Therefore any description that I would give would be recapitulating Hem Babu's description. No change has since taken place in the mode of cultivation.
10. No. The ganja cultivators are of the same class as other agricultural cultivators.
11.. No, so far as I am aware of.
12. Nowhere, so far as my experience goes, wild hemp is cultivated for the production of ganja.
13. So far as I am aware, the cultivation of ganja is restricted in Bengal Province alone.
It is grown, as I have said above, to a limited area in the districts of Rajshahi, Dinajpur and Bora. The cultivation of ganja was at the beginning confined to a few villages in the north of Rajshahi district. Gradually it extended to the tracts bordering the Rajshahi district, but locally situated in Bogra and Dinajpur. Subsequently, by Government order, the limit of the ganja tract was specified and cultivation restricted to that tract. Ganja could not be grown in low and marshy land. I think, for the proper growth of ganja plants, dry climate, mixed soil (sand and clay), high land and faciities for irrigation are necessary for producing ganja. I think it would be impossible to grow ganja in the districts bordering the sea and as well as in the high lands of the districts in the north and west of Bengal.
14. (a) Yes.
(b) No.
(a) No.
In Naogaon ganja tract. From 7,000 to 9,000 reminds.
15. Only from cultivated plants, ganja is manufactured in Naogaon. The process of manufacture is simple and indigenous.    When the
plants are mature they are cut and put in the sun from three to four days. It may be noted that the plants are cut into two or three pieces accord- inc.' to the size of the plant, each piece being about two feet in length. Three or four hours after, when the ganja leaves are dry and partly fall off, the cultivator selects the pieces which would produce ganja and rejects those that would not yield ganja. Thus far the process is the same for manufacture of both round and flat ganja. If the cultivator wants to make his ganja flat, he would take the selected parts and put them in a circle in one layer. A gam, of two to five men stand upon the plants and press them down with their feet. This is done in the open field and in sunshine, the place, of course, being made clean beforehand. When the first layer is sufficiently pressed, another layer is put in. Thus the process is continued till the layers come up to the height of two feet. A cultivator who has a larger number of plants to manufacture will make pressing-places according to the quantity of ganja and the number of men at his command. The first day's pressing being finished, weights are placed on the heaps of ganja plants so pressed. A chatai or country mat is put on the top of the heap below the weight, in order partly to give uniform pressure and partly to protect from rain and dews. It is also noticed that the pressing men themselves sit upon the top of the heap and act as pressing weights. On the second day the plants are taken out from the heaps and again put in the sun for about three to four hours. When some of the leaves fall off again they are pressed in the manner described above. The pressing process is continued from three to four days. When the cultivator finds that the flower with small leaves has taken a flat shape and resinous matters sufficiently adhered together, the plants are spread over the field to dry; and when they are dry, they begin to brush off the remaining long leaves by means of their feet. The plants are then, at their convenience, made into bundles of about two seers in weight.
The process of making the round ganja is almost the same as flat, with this difference, that the former is rolled down with hand and feet to give it a round shape.
The chur ganja is not separately manufactured ; tbe bits that drop down during the process of manufacture are collected and separately stored and is called chur. Recently, however, the cultivaters, in order to get a ready sale, take off the flowers from the flat ganja and sell them without the branches.
(a) Naogaon ganja is only smoked. I am not aware of people eating or drinking it. The process of smoking is this :—Smoker would take a small quantity of ganja, put it on the palm of his left hand and pick out the seeds and leaves that might be in it with his right-band fingers, occasionally blowing with his mouth to separate them. He would then bathe the ganja with water in order to clear off any extraneous substance. He would roll it up with a small bit of tobacco leaf, and then cut it fine with a sharp knife, as they cut the American tobacco before smoking. He would put it in a small-sized chillum. Some smokers first put the ganja and then a layer of native tobacco upon it. A huka is scarcely used for smoking ganja. The difference between smoking tobacco and ganja is this :— The former is smoked with easy Fulls, whereas in smoking the latter a smoker would pull his pipe so long as he can keep his breath.
16. Bhang may be prepared generally by the people in their houses. It may be prepared from hemp plant wherever grown. Ganja and climes cannot be prepared from wild plant wherever grown.
17. Ganja is prepared by the ordinary cultivators, Hindus and Musalmans.
18. The drugs deteriorate by keeping. It quite looses its effect in time. From two to three years it keeps good with ordinary care. Evaporation of the narcotic matter is the cause of deterioration. If the drug is kept in hermetically sealed tin boxes it might prevent deterioration.
19. The answers given under t'ais chapter refer only to ganja Naogaon ganja is only used for
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smoking. I am not aware of its being used in any other form.
20. Ganja is smoked generally by people of the lowest class, such as Bagdi, Dulia, Behara, domestic servants groom, Behari darwan, Dosad, Chamar, Malla, Kairi, Domes, Nunia of Behar, fakir, sanyasis, jogi, Boistab, songster. Among these classes, 75 per cent, smoke ganja. Ganja is consumed in larger quantities in East Bengal and Behar. Patna, t-Mymensingh, Dacca, Champaran and Saran may be specially mentioned. Very little ganja is cousumed.in the tract where it Is grown.
21. I do not believe that preference is given to any particular g-anja, flat, round, or chur. The consumption of round ganja is confined to Calcutta and districts about it as well as Orissa division. In the rest of the districts flat ganja is consumed. The chur ganja obtained from round is consumed in the locality where the round is imported, and the flat chur in like manner consumed in the districts where flat ganja is imported. It is said that the smokers in or about Calcutta prefer round ganja. I do not think it has any meaning; for otherwise the large number of people of flat consuming districts residing in Calcutta would have demanded flat ganja had there really been any preference for any particular sort.
22. I have no knowledge.
23. I don't know of bhang being used for smoking. My experience is that it is used for drinking only.
24. As far as I am aware bhang is drunk or eaten by the people of Behar. The consumption is not confined to any particular class. The lower class consume more than the upper class. 75 per cent, of the lower class and 50 per cent, of the upper class either drink or eat bhang.
25. I have no idea of the consumption of charas or bhang. The consumption of ganja in the last decade is steady. Some twenty or thirty years before the consumption of gauja was three times over, compared to the present consumption. The cause of decrease is attributed to the fact that there was very small duty on ganja before; with the gradual increase of duty and imposition of fee for selling ganja the consumption decreased.
26. The proportion of consumers of ganja, in my opinion, is as follows :—
(a) 20 per cent. habitual moderate consumers.
(b) Out of this 20, only 5 are excessive consumers, or 5 per cent.
(r) Occasional moderate consumers SO per cent. or 8 in 10.
(d) Occasional excessive consumers are l0
out of 80 or 10 per cent.
27. Fakirs, jogis, sanyasis, cooks and palkibearers form the class of habitual moderate consumers ; and among these the mendicant class are habitual excessive consumers. The occasional moderate consumers are taken from the lowest classes of both Hindu and Musalman, such as Dosad, Nunia, Chamar, Malla, Dhangar, Bunwa, Dulia, Dome, Bagdi, Keora, Mether, Bhurnali. The occasional excessive consumers among these (lasses are those who otherwise turned vagabond. It is said that, as a matter of course, people taken to ascetic life must take to smoking ganja, because these people think that it is not possible to stand the hardship of ascetic life unless some sort 41 stimulant is used, and they take to ganja smoking as it is cheapest of all intoxicants. Those of the new recruits who had not the inclination to smoke led to the practice by their keeping company with those who smoke. With regard to the other classes of consumers, the circumstances of their living in society which indulge in smoking ganja and their doing very hard labour without proper food and rest lead to the practice. To this may be added the general hankering of men for some refreshment to kill the fatigue of bard labour. Examples are not wanting of people acquiring the habit of ganja smoking by first using it as medicine. For instance, a man suffering from chronic fever, dysentery, diarrhea, gout, etc., is advised the smoking of ganja as a remedy.
28. The average allowance of habitual moderate consumers is two annas weight of ganja or 22f, grains, the cost of which is only two pice.
The average allowance of habitual excessive consumers is one tola or 180 grains per diem, the cost of which is four annas.
29. The only ingredient mixed with ganja is tobacco leaf. I am not aware of any other ingredient being used ordinarily or exceptionally. Dhatula is not used. The object of mixing tobacco leaf with ganja is to give it a flavour.
I have no experience about " bhang massala."
30. Generally ganja is smoked in company ordinarily consisting of two. Those who are dependents only seek solitude in order to conceal their habits from their betters. Genie is chiefly Consumed by the male sex. Some of the women of ill-fame are known to smoke ganja. Those women again belong to the lowest order of the unfortunate class. Generally young people are seen to smoke ganja between the age of 16 to 45. It is not usual for children to consume ganja.
31. I think the habit of consuming ganja is rather easily formed, since the class of people from which the consumers are taken consider ganja as only a bit stronger than tobacco, which is universally consumed in Bengal. The habit, I think, is not difficult to break off like other intoxicants, such as opium, madak, and liquor. The tendency of moderate habit developing into excessive depends much on the mode of life the man leads. An honest and respectable smoker, who uses ganja as pain and hunger killer, would not go to excessive, while a smoker who has less worldly ties and is not required to work for food would generally go to excess.
32. The consumption of ganja is not required by any social or religious custom. Bhang is, as a social custom, drunk as sherbet on the fourth day of the Durga puja. While the male members of the family go out with the idol to throw it in the river, the females prepare the bhang, which consists of the grinding of bhang leaves with spices, and then mixing it with sugar and water. On the return of the males, they are offered this drink with other sweets. The children do not drink. Very few old people drink. It is consumed by most of the young people. It is not essential that bhang should be drunk as a custom. The use is generally temperate, and there is no likelihood of leading to the formation of habit.
33. The smoking of ganja is regarded disreputable by the society generally ; but such is not the case with regard to bhang. There is, however, no social or religious public opinion in regard to the practice. The sentiment which makes the people consider the ganja smokers disreputable is attributed to the fact that ganja is the cheapest of all intoxicants, just as gentlemen going to the cheap
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side and thereby losing respectability. I am not aware of any custom of worshipping the hemp plant on any occasion by any sects of the people.
34. I think it would be a serious privation to all classes of consumers to forego the consumption of ganja. The classes which consume ganja are the poorest and lowest classes of the society. Ganja, being the cheapest of all the intoxicants, is consumed by the poorest class. If they have to forego smoking ganja, they cannot possibly take to other intoxicating articles, because they are costly. If the consumption is stopped, they would take to smoking dhatura or some other deleterious drugs of wild growth. When I have said that the whole lot of consumers would feel the privation, I need not give the number.
35. I do not think that it would be feasible to prohibit the use of ganja and bliang. The drugs would be consumed illicitly. I doubt if the prohibition could be entirely enforced. The nature of the country, the domestic arrangements of the people, the peculiar zenana system of the country, and the sympathy of the police and the excise offices with the consumers, and the cost necessary for the prevention, would, I am sure, thwart all our attempts to prohibit the consumption of ganja and bhang. The prohibition, I should say, will create discontent among the consumers who would naturally question the justice of the British Government about their freedom of action. I would not, however, anticipate any political discontent, because, loyal as the people are, they would always bow down to the decision of the sar/car. The prohibition would be followed by recourse to dhatura or other drugs, but not to alcoholic stimulant.
36. I don't think that alcohol is being substituted for any of these drugs.
37. I have no idea about the effects of charas smoking.
33. No, not at all.
39. I think that the smoking of any preparation of hemp plant is a less injurious form of consumption than drinking or eating. The reason is that any form of smoking is stronger and therefore difficult to consume more than drinking or eating it, which is easier.
40. I am not aware of these drugs being prescribed on account of their medicinal qualities by any school of native doctors. They are not used, so far as I know, in the treatment of cattle disease.
41. The moderate use of ganja and bhang may, in my opinion, be beneficial in its effects as a food digestive. The moderate use of ganja undoubtedly gives staying-power under severe exertion or exposure and alleviates fatigue. Its use acts as febrifuge and preventive of disease in malarious and unhealthy tracts. It is said that the use of ganja helps in concentrating thoughts. The few of the upper class who use ganja smoke it as digestive. All consumers of the lower class use it to give staying-power or to alleviate fatigue. Among the consumers whose ordinary pursuits make them liable to exposure, work in water or colliery, use it as preventive. Under advice of native doctors, some people are seen to get rid of chronic fever by smoking ganja. Seventy-five per cent. of these smokers use ganja for the above purposes. In the above, I only refer to the moderate occasional use of the drug.
42. The occasional moderate use of ganja is not only beneficial but also harmless.
43. Of all persons using intoxicants, one sort or other, the ganja smoker is the most inoffensive of all to his neighbours.
44. The moderate use of ganja invigorates the habitual consumers. It is no doubt refreshing. It exhilarates but does not inebriate. It allays hunger but does not create appetite. Its effect lasts about an hour. It is said that it has no after-effects. I do not think that the want of subsequent gratification produces any longing or uneasiness.
45. I do not think that the habitual moderate use of ganja produces any noxious effect—physical, mental, or moral. It does not impair the constitution in any way. It does not injure the digestion or cause loss of appetite. It does not cause dysentery, bronchitis or asthma. It does not impair the moral sense or induce laziness. On the other hand, it makes people active. I do not think that it induces habits of immorality or debauchery. It does not deaden the intellect or produce insanity. So far as I know, insanity, mental derangement, mental anxiety, often tend to the indulgence of ganja, and people are said to obtain relief in smoking ganja.
46. I am afraid habitual excessive use of ganja produces mental derangement; impairs constitution; brings on dysentery ; deadens intellect and induces laziness.
47. No, and does not affect in any way the children of the moderate consumers.
48. No.
49. The moderate use of ganja and bhanf.s, is practised as aphrodisiac by some. Some prostitutes do so use. I have no experience whether this form of use is more injurious than its use as an ordinary narcotic. I am not aware of ganja smoking producing impotence.
50. Answer same as above.
51. No. The moderate use of ganja has no connection with crime in general or with crime of any special character.
52. Same as above. During my fourteen years' experience as Judicial Officer, I hardly came across criminals who are habitual ganja smokers or that moderate or excessive use of ganja induced them to commit crime.
53. No such case came to my knowledge. There is nothing peculiar in ganja to incite unpremeditated crime, violent or otherwise.
54. I have heard of this old story that robbers and dacoits fortifying themselves with smoking ganja commit dacoity or theft. Probably there might have been some truth about this story a century before, but in my experience as Deputy Magistrate I never came across a single case of the nature described in this question.
55. I have never come across such case. I do not think that complete stupefaction is possible by smoking ganja without admixture.
56. Ordinarily no substance except tobacco is mixed with ganja. I have no knowledge if admixture of other substance would make any difference in its effect, either used in moderation or in excess. I have no information regarding the admixture of dhatura for personal consumption or for administration to others.
57. I don't know that ganja and charas are eaten or drunk.
58. In my opinion the excise administration of Bengal in respect of ganja is working very well. Every system is more or less capable of
‚ii
improvement and some improvement may be suggested.
59. The following are some of the suggestions indicating the direction in which improvement is p ssible :—
1. To strengthen the present staff of officers and men engaged in the supervision and control of the cultivation of
ganja-
2. To reduce the quantity of ganja which a person is allowed to possess from twenty to five tolas. This will minimise smuggling, and at the same time will act as prohibition to the consumer who has a tendency to go to excess.
3. To provide for punishment for possession of ganja of any quantity for which duty has not been paid. This will check consumption of ganja on which duty has not been paid, and at the same time will benefit the revenue.
4. To authorise all the excise officers, specially those employed for the supervision of cultivation, to make search for ganja without the assistance of police, as they are, under the present law, required. This will check illicit cultivation and thus tend to decrease the consumption,
5. To weigh ganja manufactured by the cultivators of Naogaon and not to depend upon the guess weight which must necessarily be incorrect. This is necessary both from administrative and moral point of view. Ganja
passino. out from the hands of culti- t,
vator without payment of duty must necessarily be cheaper. Therefore it will increase consumption.
6. To store ganja in public warehouses. At present ganja is stored in the house of the cultivator, who can smuggle a portion of it without being detected.
7. To provide punishment for taking away ganja plants from the field by other persons than the cultivators.
S. To provide the Subdivisional Magistrate of Naog,aon to exercise criminal jurisdiction in all ganja cases arising within the ganja tract, which at present is locally situated in the districts of Bogra and Dinajpur where the ganja cases are now tried.
9. To reduce by half the rate of duty on different sorts of ganja in the ganjaproducing districts, Rajshahi, Bogra and Dinajpur. On general principle, the price of an article should be cheaper at the place where it is produced. On this pinciple the duty of opium is nearly half of what it is in most other districts of Bengal. This will tend to entirely check or eradicate the petty smuggling which at present exists and which it is impossible to check under the present law and rules.
10. To increase the duty of all sorts of ganja, specially chur. In my opinion we have not raised the duty to such an amount where we should stop, so that overtaxing might not induce illicit cultivation. Chur gauja, it is admit.
ted, even at present, pays less duty in proportion. Proposal for its increase has been submitted and it is anticipated that the increase will be sanctioned.
There should be only one sort of ganja manufactured. I would propose to turn all ganja into chur, to pack it in uniform bundles and distribute like opium to all the treasuries and sun-treasuries of Bengal for sale.
12. To buy up the whole produce from the cultivator as soon as it is manufactured, and to distribute it to the several districts according to their requirements, keeping a reserve stock at Naogaon.
60. The cultivation of Naogaon ganja and its manufacture are sufficiently controlled. I would, however, recommend the appointment of two additional supervisors during the manufacturing season with a staff of peons.
61. I have no experience.
62. I am not aware that the cultivation of hemp plants for production of bhang is controlled in any way. No control, I think, is feasible, since these plants grow wild all over the country.
63. The present system of wholesale and retail sale of ganja, charas and bhang is the best. No one would have any objection to it.
64.. There would be no objection to the existing regulations governing the export and import of gait] a.
65. In my opinion the taxation of ganja, charas and bhang is reasonable with reference to each other, but not quite reasonable with reference to alcoholic or other intoxicants. I have already proposed the increase of taxation of ganja in my reply to question No. 59. Four pice worth of liquor or tan i could not make any impression in the consumer, but a pice worth of ganja is sufficient to intoxicate a habitual smoker and sure to kill a man who never smoked before. Charas is very little consumed, and any increase in duty on this article will not matter much. Bhang, as I have said before, is grown wild all over the country and could be had for collecting. Bhang pays a very small duty of eight annas per seer. If the taxation is raised, the consumer would not come to our shop but would collect it from the wild plants. Had it been possible to eradicate the wild growth of bhang, I would have recommended an increase in the taxation of this article.
66. In my opinion it is necessary that different rates of taxation should be for different kinds of ganja, flat, round and chur. In Bengal, ganja is only grown in Naogaon. In Gurjat in Otissa some sort of so-called ganja is collected from wild plants. Each kind of ganja should be taxed in proportion to the narcotic matter that each is supposed to contain. On this principle, the present rate of taxation was fixed.
67. Excepting the remarks made by me in the foregoing replies, I have no objection to the present method of taxing.
68. There is no objection to the consumers smoking ganja in the licensed shop. But ordinarily the smokers take away the ganja from the shop and smoke in their own houses. The shops are by no means disreputable.
69. Ordinarily the wishes of the people are not consulted or considered when a shop is opened in any locality. I don't think it is necessary to
11.
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consult or consider public opinion, as a ganja shop is not a nuisance.
70. I am not aware of the importation or smuggling of hemp drug from Native States into Bengal. In the ganja-producing tract of Naogaon, small quantity of ganja is used surreptitiously ; consequently no duty is paid on it. This cannot be prevented in a place where the drug is grown, and it is difficult to bring the consumers within the provision of law. 'I here is no general use of untaxed drugs, so far as I am aware of.
Oral evidence.
Question 1.-1 have been fourteen years in the service, nearly two years and nine months as Sub. divisional Officer of Naogaon.
Question 3.—The wild hemp plant generally grows in uncultivated land, either in the homesteads or fields. It does not grow in the jungle or in sandy chars, but it does grow on alluvial chars. I do not think I have seen a plant in alluvial lands; but I have seen it near homesteads and in other places. The wild plant grows in the cold season, and the leaves are gathered in February and March. In Bengal the plant could not last till June or July ; but I cannot say what may happen in other parts of India.
If the wild plant were cut down it would spring up again from its seeds. There was an order for its extermination in force for one season, and in many districts the attempt was made. Orders were issued to the chowkidars and villagers to carry it out. The order was rescinded because it was seen that it would be oppressive. It would be impossible for the people to exterminate the plant in the waste strips by the roadsides and cattle-grazing grounds ; but it might be done in the homesteads without difficulty. The plant cannot grow in the cultivated fields, because the people weed it out.
The alluvial chars to which I refer are new land thrown up by the river. The seed is brought into these lands by the river and so springs up.
In saying it would be impossible to eradicate the plant in the strips of waste land and sides of fields, I mean that there is no agency to do the work or anyone to hold responsible. The growth is not very large on these lands, and the amount of it would not cause difficulty, though the operation might take time.
Question 34.-4 say that consumers would take to dhatura if deprived of hemp, because there are people who cannot do without some stimulant, and I have seen people who cannot afford to purchase ganja smoke dhatura. In my answer 56, I am referring to the mixture of dhatura with ganja,. That I have not seen. Both leaves and seeds and flowers of dhatura are smoked. People afflicted with asthma commonly smoke dhatura. By other drugs to which people would have resort, I refer to the leaves of the wild hemp plant. I have seen people, one or two, smoke dhatura who had not asthma. Those one or two persons belonged to the Chandal tribe, a low caste of Hindu. One man was my own mali, and the other was a relationsof his. They washed the seeds or leaves up in their hands like ganja or tobacco and put it in their chillams. I did not see the stuff gathered from the plant ; but I saw in the hands of these people, and could recognise it, for I have seen other people use it.