ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES in INDIA Dacca Division, Populated Mostly by Muslims by Sir R
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Special Articles ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN INDIA Dacca division, populated mostly by Muslims By Sir R. N. CHOPRA, c.i.e., m.a., m.d., sc.d., (67 per cent). This area is mainly agricultural, and of alcohol on f.r.c.p. (Lond.) therefore the consumption is, the much lower here than in the other colonel, i.m.s. (Retd.) whole, parts of the province. G. S. CHOPRA, m.b., b.s. Pachwai or handia or mama, i.e., fermented liquor and brewed from rice or millet, is drunk chiefly by the both I. C. CHOPRA, m.r.c.s. (Eng.), l.r.c.p. (Lond.), aboriginal tribes in several districts and is used as a stimulant and as a food. It is the favourite drink d.t.m. (Cal.) of the lower classes, particularly the aboriginals. {From the School of Tropical Medicine, Calcutta) Except in Darjeeling, where pachwai is chiefly made from millet, rice is mainly used for its production. Part II Free home-brewing of pachwai is permitted only f?r private to the tribes in a few in consumption aboriginal Consumption of country spirits and beers districts during the annual Bandhana and Pons different provinces Sankranti festivals. Wanchu, a variety of fermented liquor, prepared from is sometimes used by the In this section an is made to review rice, attempt Chinese in Calcutta on ceremonial occasions for which the present position of the use of different temporary permission is obtainable. alcoholic beverages in different provinces with special reference to the conditions which deter- Table VI mine their in these areas. consumption Number of licences issued for retail sale home- 1. The Bengal Presidency.?The consumption brewing and manufacture of pachwai on special of country liquor in 1936-37 was 364,589 proof occasions in Bengal Presidency:? gallons which amounts to 73 proof gallons per ' thousand of the population. The name country Retail 1,145 spirit' in Bengal applies to unsophisticated Home-brew 61,406 spirit made locally from mohua and molasses. Manufacture on special occasions 633 The standard varies from 25 strength degrees Total 63,184 and 75 degrees' underproof. The causes which determine the consumption of alcoholic drinks in this presidency are the comparatively small The migration of the aboriginal tribes to Burdwan, urban population, especially towards the west, Birbhum, Bankura and Murshidabad districts, which adjoin Chota and has the use of the fair percentage of Mohammedans in Nagpur Behar, spread chiefly pachwai all over this province, especially in the western the eastern and the industrial districts, large and northern districts bordering the Chota Nagpur hills population extending from Calcutta to Asansol and the Himalayas. In the northern and eastern in the north-west along the railway lines and parts of Bengal, comprising the Darjeeling district, Sikkim and Bhutan borders, the use of a different in the coalfields.- From a careful survey of the kind of beer called marua is in vogue. consumption of spirits in different areas it has been concluded that the presidency can be 2. Behar.?The consumption of country divided into three district zones : (1) the town of liquor during the year 1939-40 amounted to Calcutta, its suburbs, and the adjoining industrial 640,426.5 proof gallons, roughly 3 proof gallons areas of Burdwan and Hooghly; (2) the per 1,000 of the population. Country liquor is Darjeeling district and the adjoining tea gardens; mostly consumed in Patna division, in two dis- and (3) the Eastern Bengal zone comprising the tricts of Bhagalpore division and in two districts May, 1942J ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES IN INDIA : R. N., G. S. & I. C. CHOPRA 291 of Chota Nagpur division. The districts of pointed out, the area of highest consumption of Patna and Arrah form part of a compact and spirits in this province adjoins Behar, areas Well-defined alcohol-consuming area which in- between the Ganges and the Jamuna rivers, and cludes the adjoining Benares and parts of in the north up to Lucknow. Most of the con- Allahabad divisions and almost the whole sumption of the country spirit is confined to of the Oudli in the United Provinces. The cause the large cities and cantonments?Allahabad, of the high consumption of country spirit in Bareilly, Cawnpore, Gorakhpore, Mirzapore, these areas appears to be more ethnological than Lucknow and Faizabad. In other districts of these pro- occupational. In the both plain and spiced country spirits has been province vinces the place of country spirits are used. The chief bases used for the manufacture of taken by other intoxicants such as ganja and country spirit are mahua flowers and molasses. The opium. The only exception is Manbhum dis- admixture of these in varying proportions is also trict with the of coal min- employed. The eastern districts prefer spirit manufac- where, development tured from viahua or a mixture of mahua and molasses, the use of has also increased. ing industry, liquor but the western districts generally prefer spirit distilled The consumption is also somewhat higher in from pure molasses. The Tharus of Gonda and Monghyr where the people have a racial ten- Bahraich districts and the Bhutias of Kumaun use as a base for the of while the towards and where high cash wages gram production spirit, dency drink, inhabitants of certain of Naini Tal district manu- are to the in parts paid employees railway workshops facture pachwai or rice beer. at Jamalpur. Special exemption from the excise laws and rules in certain localities.?The Bhutias are while Pachwai or handia is the universal drink of the exempted, within the of Dharma and Johar and aboriginal tribes such as Sonthals and Bhils inhabiting residing parganas at Bholia Parao at Dharchula in the of Chota Nagpur hills which comprise the district of the pargana in the district and in Painkhanda Ranchi, Hazaribagh and parts of Sonthal Parganas. Askot Almora pargana in the Garhwal district of the Kumaun division, from The total number of licences issued during the year all those of the United Provinces Excise for retail sale was 445, and the total number of home- provisions Act of which the manufacture of brewing licences was 2,659. These licences were issued (IV 1910), prohibit under a licence and the of in the districts of Champaran, Bhagalpore and Purnea. liquor exempt possession in excess of retail that Tari is largely used in Gaya, Monghyr, Saran, liquor quantities, provided any which manufacture or is used for and Darbhanga, and is obtained from liquor they possess Muzaffarpur domestic and not for sale. The coconut and other palm trees. consumption only inhabitants of Jaunsar Bawar in the Dehra Dun dis- 3. Orissa.?In this province the general trict, which lies outside the town of the Kalsi and picture of addiction to alcoholic drugs is almost Chakrata cantonment, are exempt from the provisions of the Act, in so far as they are permitted to manu- with that of Behar. The identical consumption facture spirituous and fermented liquors, known as of country spirit during the year 1936-37 sur and rabra respectively, without any licence. 1 amounted to 109,562.2 proof gallons, roughly Other country fermented liquors.?Sendhi, a kindred 17 of the The drink to tari, made from the sap of the wild date palm gallons per 1,000 population. Phoenix is also sometimes used. Darbahra is is in of the sylvestris, highest consumption parts agency a variety of country beer obtained by fermentation of tracts in Balliguda, G. Udayagire and Khond- various herbs. This very slightly alcoholic beverage mals in Ganjam district. is used to a limited extent in the Azamgarh district. Buza is a fermented liquor made from rice and is and is Tari is the sap of the palm tree, used either very little used now. In the western districts of the freshly drawn from the tree or after fermentation. The United Provinces hemp preparations and opium are date is the only variety of palm tree from which tari commonly used in place of country beers. is drawn in this province. Last year 3,054 trees were 5. The Punjab.?The common country spirit used in tapped. the Punjab is prepared by the addition of flavours and Pachwai.?Liquor brewed from pachvmi with the help spices to plain spirits, care being taken, for excise of a rami fermenting agent known as bakkar is used purposes, that the product does not resemble any in certain this The drink are parts of province. goes by foreign spirit. Plain spirits also used and are various names?pachwai, handia, henda, paindan and distilled from cane sugar. of sooram. This is the favourite beverage aboriginals. In 1939, the issues of spiced country spirit for con- The retail shops numbering 60 for pachwai are mostly sumption in the Punjab amounted to 317,156 gallons situated in Balasore and Sambalpur districts. Besides as against 82,758 gallons of plain spirit. The total there were 846 licences issued for home-brewing. The consumption of both varieties amounted to chief consumers are Bhuinyas, Kols, and Santals. 399,914 gallons. The consumption of spiced country licences for on Special manufacture of pachwai festive spirit is encouraged because its use creates a demand are occasions issued to these tribes. for a drink which the illicit distillers are unable to supply. In the Punjab the proportion of urban 4. United Provinces.?The. total popu- consumption lation to the rural population is almost the same as of country spirit during 1938-39 amounted to in the United Provinces, with the difference that there 327,925 proof gallons which works out to 7.1 are about 53 per cent Mohammedans in this province.