52. Evidence of BARUMA TMOHAN CHAKRA.VARTI, Deputy Magistrate and Deputy Collector, Jajpur, Cuttack, Orissa.

1. I was Excise Deputy Collector of the District Puri for more than two years, and since then I have been in charge of Jajpur Sub-Division, District Cuttack. The frontier of both the districts marches with those of many Tributary States, and for the last four years I have had to watch the smuggling of Gurjat ganja into these two districts. While at Puri I made special enquiries about the use and import of Gurjat ganja into that district. I know the people of Orissa pretty well. I was bred up here, and my entire period of service has been spent here. My remarks are to be taken as chiefly applicable to Orissa.
2. Patti (from Uriya pattar)-correctly defined. Charas-Not used in Orissa.
Ganja is of two kinds-(1) Rajshahi, (2) Gurjat.
(I)
Gurjats many people grow this plant, both for bhang and ganja.
R. For several years the cultivation of Gurjat ganja was prohibited in the Tributary States of Orissa. This prohibition has been lately withdrawn, and I believe the area under cultivation has considerably increased. To what precise extent it has increased, I am unable to say.
10. I speak here of Gurjat ganja. The seeds are sown just before or at the beginning of the rains. If the lands be small, the seeds are sown broadcast ; if the lands be large, the seeds are first sown in a nursery plot. After a month or so, the young plants are transplanted and put into the ground. When the plants are two to three feet high, the base of the stem is pierced and a piece of pebble or khapra (broken bit of earthen pot) put in. This, it is said, prevents over-vegetation and hastens flowering. The plant flowers in the beginning of winter (October-November). To prevent overbranching of the flower-heads, they are roughly twisted. The flowers begin to seed in mid-winter (December-January). So in December the flower-heads with a few base leaves are cut and dried, and when for sale, are sent in bundles.
13. See answer to question 7.
Ganja requires a cool moist climate for its growth. For the development of its flower-heads some amount of cold too is necessary. Hence most ganja plants in the plains do not ordinarily flower.
14 and 15. I notice the products under Chapter V.
16. (a) Yes.
(6) Yes.
(e) Not necessarily.
Generally round, occasionally fiat, Rajshahi ganja is imported. All the bundles contain seeds showing that the male plants have not been completely extirpated.
(2) Gurjat ganja consists of the dried flower-heads, male and female, mixed with leaves at the base of those heads.
Cannabis saliva of the tribe III Cannabinea Natural order Urticacea (Hooker's Flora Indica, Vol. V, page 487).
3. Hemp plant does not grow spontaneously in the regulation districts. I hear from traders and several Gurjat residents that hemp often grows Spontaneously in the Tributary States of Mohurbhunj, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Boad and Athmalik.
7. The cultivation of hemp plant is prohibited in the regulation districts of Orissa. In the
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18. All the three drugs deteriorate by keeping. Bhang loses its effect in a day or two. It can be kept for twelve to twenty-four hours by covering and keeping it cool.
Ganja loses its effect in time—six to twenty-four months. Dampness is its chief enemy. The flower-heads are attacked by a fungoid growth and by white insects ; while the pattis are attacked by a whitish insect with reddish tinge. The more carefully the bales are racked, and the less they are exposed, the longer will their intoxicating effects remain.
19. Charas not used in Orissa. Ganja is chiefly used for smoking. Sometimes it is taken in the shape of madaks or balls, mixed with flour and sugar. It is so used only by well-to-do persons, being more palatable.
20. Ganja is smoked habitually by sanyasis and vaishnavas ' • and occasionally by goalas (cowkeepers) and bearers, manjhis (boatmen and fishermen), and chases (agricultural class). It is difficult to state the proportion. It probably does not exceed one-half per cent, of the population of Orissa including the Tributary States. The ascetic classes chiefly congregate at the town of Puri. The other classes spread over the whole province.
21. In the regulation districts, round ganja, and rarely flat ganja. In the Gurjats, Gurjat ganja almost exclusively.
24. The Brahmin sebaks of' the temples in Puri, Jajpur and Bhuvaneswar, commonly called Pandas, and their agents known as pilgrim hunters, habitually drink bhang. Their number would be within two thousand. The higher castes, such as the other sub-classes of Brahmins, the Karans and the Khandaits, drink bliang occasionally, chiefly in summer as a cooling draught. Such occasional consumers do not exceed probably ten thousand.
25. The use of bhang has considerably decreased, and the ganja-smoking seems to have increased.
In old days, bhang alone was recognised in the Hindu Shastras, and in only one Tantra have I found mention of ganja-smoking (see appendix for quotations). The result was that the sanyasis, vaishnavas, and tantriks then chiefly drank bhang. With the later Muhammadan rule, tobacco-smoking and analogically ganja-smoking came into vogue. The power of ganja-smoking in hardening the body and in lessening the nervous sensibilities including hunger, endeared the habit to ascetics and persons compelled to do hard work under exposure. Thus ganja-smoking has more and more superseded bhang-drinking.
26. See answers to questions 20 and 24.
28. Moderate consumers of
ganja    •    •    . 5th to 4 tola,
Cost in Rajsbahi ganja 2 to 8 pice.
Cost in Gurjat .    . 4 to 4 pice.
Moderate consumers of
bhang    .    •    . 4to3or4tolas.
Cost in Rajshahi    . i to 2 rice.
Cost in Gurjat .    to 1 pice.
Excessive consumers of
ganja    • 4 to 1, tolas.
Cost in Rajshahi    . 2 to 16 annas.
Cost in Gurjat .    • 1 to 8 annas.
Excessive consumers of
bhang    . 4 to 15 tolas.
Cost in Rajshahi    . 2 to 12 or 16 pice.
Cost in Gurjat .    • 1 to 8 pice.
29. Ganja (Rajshahi or Gurjat) is ordinarily mixed with tobacco leaves and rubbed on the hand before smoking. Smoked unmixed, ganja produces cough and irritates the throat; and its effect is said not to last long; exceptionally is mixed with dhatura, to increase intoxication ; or with musk, attar, sandal powder, and small cardamoms, to give fragrance to the smoke.
Bhang (Rajshahi or Gurjat).—Patti ordinarily washed, and then mixed with water. The decoction is then strained, and the strained liquid mixed with poppy-seed, small and large cardamoms, jayitri and pudina leaves, to give flavour ; exceptionally milk or surgarcane juice or sugar added, to make the drink palatable. Sugar is also said to add to the intoxicating effects.
Bhang massala is sold only at Puri. It consists of poppy-seeds' pollens of nageswar flowers, and spices such as labong, jayitri and marich.
When the person is suffering from cold or cough, he often takes patti in balls of mashed leaves, called lubdhi.
In feverish state attended with cold, the bhang. drinker sometimes takes phanki. This consists of patti, fried in ghi, and then powdered with sunth, peepul, marich and saindhab salt.
30. Bhang or ganja taken sometimes alone, but generally in company. The bhang is drunk both by children and adults ; ganja smoked chiefly by adults. Both confined to males only.
31. Yes ; not so difficult to break off as opium, but more difficult to break off than is tobacco. Yes ; there is a tendency to develop into the excessive, unless the consumer is a person of strong will, or is restrained by his pecuniary resources.
32. (a) In the following, bhang is customarily taken :—
(1) On the night of Dasahra, bhang is prepared and drunk by relatives and friends ; hence the day is probably called Bijaya, Bijaya being another name for hemp in Sanskrit.
(2) On the Ganesh Chaturthi day, sweetmeats containing patti are offered to the god, and then taken by relatives and friends.
According to the Tantras, bhang should be drunk before several important ceremonies are performed (for quotations see the appendix paper).
(b) In the following, ganja is smoked :—
(1) The yogis, sanyasis and vaishnavas consider smoking to be a part of their rites ;
In a ceremony lately introduced into Balasore and Cuttack from Bengal, called Trinath.mela, one like worth ganja should be smoked
Generally, excepting (6) (1), the drug is taken moderately ; but the custom may, in some cases, lead to the formation of the habit.
33. Bhang-drinking, occasionally, is not in disrepute. But the habitual drinker is in bad odour. There is an Uriya proverb :—
"An opium eater is a thief, a ganja-drinker is tipsy (incapable of acting reasonably), while an user of dried tobacco leaves has too much golmal in his house (every body asking for some more leaves)."
(3)
(2)
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Ganja-smoking is held more disreputable than bhang-drinking, and a "habitual smoker of ganja " is a term of abuse in Uriya.
34. For the habitual smoker or drinker, the prohibition would be a serious privation for several days. This is due to the force of habit, particularly habits in intoxicating drugs. For number see answers to questions 20 and 24.
35. In Orissa, Gurjat ganja was prohibited for nearly ten years, and numerous persons were convicted, often heavily punished. But still the use of the drug could not be rooted out. Illicit importation was frequent, and is still going on from the adjoining Tributary States. If the use of the drugs be prohibited, and a sufficient staff be kept for watching, the occasional consumers mostly, and the habitual consumers largely, will give up the habit. The staff will have to watch chiefly along the western frontiers of Orissa. The prohibition would give rise to much discontent, but I do not think it would lead to any political danger. The bulk of the habitual ganja-smokers and drinkers are not in so good repute as to move the general people. The prohibition may lead, in several cases, to the adoption of opium, but not certainly to alcoholic stimulants.
36. No; on the other hand, the high price of distillery liquors, and the rising price of toddy, have led several consumers to have recourse to ganja and opium ; the lower classes using ganja, and the upper classes, opium. I noticed this particularly in Puri District.
37. I speak with some diffidence on the questions of this chapter. I am a layman and cannot speak so fully and correctly as a medical expert.
40. Yes ; a horse, after a bath, is sometimes given a pill consisting of patti, turmeric and molasses.
41. (a) Bhang in moderate quantities is digestive, acting as a cooling beverage in summer
(b) Both bhang and ganja-smoking alleviate fatigue ; ganja-smoking generally deadens the sensibilities, and thus enables a man to bear cold or heat, or to do hard continuous work for a time.
(e) In Puri and the adjoining saliferous tracts bhang is believed to prevent the formation of mucus and dysentery.
For the reasons (a) and (c) the Sebak Brahmins drink bhang. For the reasons in (b), bearers, boatmen and agriculturists smoke ganja.
I refer to moderate occasional use, except that in (c) moderate habitual use is believed to act as preventive of dysentery and diarrhea.
43. Generally so ; ganja-smoking often leads to an irritable temper, and the smoker is said to have an irritable temper.
44. Bhang—Intoxicating, creates appetite, lasts from one to twelve hours according to constitution and quantity taken. The after-effects are uneasiness, and redness of the eyes.
Ganja smoking.—Refreshes after fatigue, intoxicates, takes away hunger, lasts for one-half to three hours. The after-effects are redness of the eyes and looseness of the bowels. After the intoxication is over, the mind has a craving for fresh drink or fresh ganja ; and if not gratified, feels pain and uneasiness.
45. (a) Yes ; so far as I know.
(c), (d) and (e) Ganja-smoking causes gradually a loss of appetite with dysentery. It certainly impairs the moral sense.
(f) This is difficult to state. The general belief is that ganja-smoking produces insanity. But I do not know personally of any case in which insanity has been so caused.
Bhang-drinkino. is much less injurious than ganja-smoking. ''Habitually taken, it injures digestion, and induces laziness; often it leads to habits of immorality.
46. All the above effects are intensified in the case of habitually excessive consumers.
49. Yes; bhang-drinking. Native physicians use patti in pills, meant for use as aphrodisiacs.
58. The policy of "minimum of consumption and maximum of revenue" adopted by the Excise Department of Bengal is working well. The arrangements are not, however, so perfect as to be incapable of further improvement.
59. For my suggestions, see appendix paper (B).
Appendix paper.
(A)
CHAPTER V, QUESTIONS 25 AND 32.
The general impression is that ganja was used as drug from time immemorial. To verify this I have looked up old Sanskrit works, and asked several Pundits to assist me. I could not find any mention of hemp as drug in any of the Vedic treatises at hand. Charak and Susruta are the oldest writers on Hindu medicines, whose treatises have come up to this date. I could not find any trace of ganja in the works of either. Dr. Watt in his recent dictionary makes a quotation in which Susruta is described as having prescribed ganja for affections of phlegm. But as neither the chapter nor verse is quoted therein, 1 am unable to test its accuracy.
The earliest mention of gauja as a drug is to be found in the Tantrik works. Ganja is there known as samvidya or vijaya. The Tantras prescribe two ceremonies, samvidya prakarana and vijaya-dhuma-panam. While describing them, the works give several details about the preparations and effects of ganja which may prove interesting to outsiders.
Translation—
Flowers (of hemp) are of four kinds: white, blood red, black and yellow. The white flower is the Brahmin woman; red, Kshattriya woman ; yellow, Vaisya woman ; and black, the Sudra woman. Gather the leaves (of ganja) carefully with seeds, fry them in ghi (clarified butter), powder the same on stones ; then take trikatu (sunth, peepulli and marich), triphala (haritaki, bayera and amalaki), sringoi, kudha, dhane, saindhab salt, sati, the leaf of talis, katuka, nageswar, two kinds of juani (juani and agamoda), methi and two kinds of jira (jira and black jira) ; all these in equal quantities take, dry in the sun, and then powder ; mix the powder of the ganja with this powder in a golden vessel, and then holding the hands over the mixture, consecrate the same with the following four mantras. (Here follow the mantras).
For the effects of the drug when taken in mixture, the following will suffice :—
Translation—
With milk, water, ghi, honey products (such as honey, wine, etc.), saimlhab salt, sugar or molasses, or with ripe sweet fruits, such as
x2
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plantains, mangoes, jacks, etc., vijaya (ganja) can give power to do all acts. Taken with milk, vijaya gives all sorts of pleasures, is strongly stimulating, and prevents eye diseases. Taken with water, it removes indigestion. Taken with ghi (clarified butter), it strengthens memory, helps in subduing the goddess of speech, raises the fallen, and clears the intellect. Taken with honey, it cures all sorts of bodily illnesses. Taken with saindhab salt, it increases the fire of appetite. Taken with sugar or molasses, it removes stomachic spasms springing from acid-bile (amlapitta) humour, allays diarrhcea, puts a stop to cough and asthma, and prevents chronic dysentery rising from ambat.
etc.,    etc.,    etc.,    etc.,    etc.
For ganja-smoking, the only reference found is quoted below :—
Translation—
Or in another way the pangs of hunger may be stopped. The Joga master and mantra-knower, who daily smokes ganja through his brahmarandhra (higher orifice), is sure to get his hunger stopped.
For other references in the tantras, see Mahanirvana tantra, fifth ullasa, and Mundamala tantra.
The dates of these tantric works are not known. Tantric worship is a development of Sivaism and yoga and is a very late phase of Hinduism. It became prevalent after the Pauranic worship, and the tenth century A.D. would be rather an early date. From the composition and contents of these Tantras, I would put their probable dates at eleventh and twelfth centuries A.D. The extant writing about the use of ganja as an intoxicating drug might therefore be put at the eleventh century A.D.
The next authentic mention is in Bhabaprakash. This medical treatise was composed by one Bhaba Missra, a physician of North-Western Provinces, who flourished probably in the beginning of Akbar's reign. He says :—
Translation—
(The other synonyms of) bhanga (are) ganja, matulani, madini, vijaya and jaya, Bhanga removes cough, is bitter, astringent, digestive, light, sharp, hot, secretes biles, creates insensibility, intoxicates and increases appetite.
In the later medical works, ganja and patti are often mentioned. The most detailed description is given in Binod Lal Sett Gapta's Ayurveda bijnan, drabyasthan, page 67.
Appendix paper.
(B)
CHAPTER VII, QuesnoN 59, et seq.
I begin with the premise that no people or class of people can be made virtuous by law or cinders of the authorities. An evil habit once come into vogue cannot be easily eradicated. By judicious repression and punishment, it may cease to be prevalent : but this requires time, and the gradual education of the bulk of the people. Even then no evil habit can be altogether extirpated—witness thefts, dacoities, murders and arson. In spite of the stringency of the Penal Code, of the strong horror of the public opinion, and of the vigilance of police, they have not ceased in any country. Similarly with the habits of ganjasmoking and bhang drinking.
2. My next premise is that ganja-smoking is far worse thanbhang-drinking. Patti is not unlike tobacco leaves, and may be placed nearly in the same category. Bhang-drinking is also enjoined by custom and the shastras in various ceremonies. Consequently the sale of patti is permissible like tobacco.
On the other hand ganja-smoking, even in small quantities, is injurions, and if habitually used, permanently injures the constitution, and affects the moral conduct. The sale of ganja should therefore be more and more restricted with an eye eventually to its total prohibition, except for medicinal purposes.
3. The sale of ganja may be restricted in three ways :—
1st, by restricting the cultivation to a small area. In Orissa, ganja cultivation is not allowed, so I need not speak anything. In the Tributary States, ganja cultivation is free ; this I will deal with later on.
2nd, by raising the duty per seer of the ganja. At present the duty is 116-8 on round ganja, and 113-8 on Gurjat ganja. In comparison with opium, which has a duty of 1132 in Orissa, the above duty is less. It can be gradually rais..c1 to 1120 and $10, respectively. For patti the present duty is annas 8 per seer. It can be raised to 111, but not more, as patti cannot be kept long.
3rd, by increasing gradually the license fees of the shops, and by locating the shops in retired places. The increase in the license fees will chiefly depend on the consumption of the drug, and the distance from the frontier, etc. I am in favour of putting a maximum consumption for each shop, beyond which the shopkeeper will not be allowed to sell in every month. Except near the frontier, I do not see why it shall not be practicable. The shops for ganja, at least, should not be placed in prominent sites, such as hats, bazars, public places, temples, fairs, etc., where the people may be tempted. The principle of local option is not bad, but in Orissa there is hardly any public opinion. In Municipalities the opinion of the Municipal Commissioners might be taken before opening any shop on a new site.
4. All the above suggestions, if adopted, will increase the retail price of the drugs. Patti and ganja will become more and more valuable, and smuggling will be attempted. The Tributary States in Orissa are too close, and smuggling will not be difficult. This can be checked in the following manner :-
lit, the ordinary detective staff of the district should be strengthened. The easiest way of doing this is to amalgamate tbe present detective staff of the Salt Department with the present staff of the Excise Department. The same area is often inspected by Salt Officers and by Excise Officers, but this work can be readily done by one officer.
2nd, at least one officer on a competent pay should be placed along the frontier of each district. He will have to move along the border making rapid marches, and inspecting the adjo ining shops, and detecting smuggled drugs,
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3rd, the Chiefs of the Tributary States are to be induced to reorganise their Excise Establishment (at present miserably kept), to restrict the indiscriminate cultivation of the plant, and to prohibit sales except under certain conditions. I am generally unwilling to make any suggestions about interfering with the liberty of action allowed to the Gurjat chiefs. But on moral grounds, for the benefit of their own people at least they might do so. Failing that, they may be persuaded to make over the Excise Administration in their territories to British Government, in consideration of annual grants. In Bombay Presidency this has been done and with apparent
SUCCESS.
5. I have no doubt that these arrangements, modified according to circumstances, will, in the long run prove successful in Orissa. The changes, however, should be gradual ; and the ill-success of a year or two's experiments should not discourage.
Oral evidence.
Question I.—I have been eight and a half years in Governmmt service. I have been Deputy Collector since 1886. When I was at Puri in charge of excise I made excursions into the Tributary State of Ran pur to enquire into the transport of outstill liquor and gaup. I went a short distance over the border for two or three days at a time and once to the head-quarters of the State.
Question 3.—When I went into the Ranpur State it was the end of November, and the 0.auja plants, many of which I saw, were about to flower. At that time the export of ganja into Orissa was prohibited.
Question 8.—The prohibition of cultivation in the Tributary States was by order of the Superin tendent of Tributary Mahals. I know it was prohibited in Ranpur, but cannot speak with certainty of other States. Ranpur was not under the Court of Wards then, i.e., in the year 1889.
Question 25.—I cannot say whether the actual quantity of ganja consumed is increasing. My answer only makes a comparison between the use of bhang and ganja. It is difficult to say if the total quantity of bhang and ganja consumed is increasing or decreasing, but my impression is that it is decreasing. This does not apply to the Balasore district, of which I have no knowledge, but to Puri and Cuttack only.
Question 45.—In Puri both Gurjat and Rajshahi ganja are consumed, but among the Panda class the Gurjat ganja is much more largely used in the shape of bhang, which is made of patti with
a few ganja heads put in and drunk with •
spi
The drug is only eaten occasionally, an ce8. generally as medicine. The bairagies, vaishnavas, ascetics, bearers, and many others smoke ganja.
I have constantly been coming across people who drink bhang or smoke ganja. Palki-bearers smoke ganja, and work the better for it. The ascetics who visit Jagannath also smoke ganja, and appear to be rendered insensible to heat and cold thereby. I have never seen any consequences of taking the drug in crime, though the moral senses seemed to be impaired in some cases.
Question 70.—The Gurjat ganja was largely smuggled both from the Tributary States and the Madras frontier. I have recollection of a case in which the drug was smuggled between the two coverings of a native umbrella. The contrivances for smuggling are various. Smuggled ganja is not sold openly in the town, but distributed secretly among the consumers. The license fees for vend of gunja have nevertheless been increasing in the town of Puri.