When I wrote a negative comment about Aryan Khan on Facebook, I was taken a back by a question why Sadhus drug themselves. This was asked none other than a Hindu may be pseudo-secular or the one who made Khans rule over this country though being Khan by a dialogue “ I am Khan and I am not a terrorist”. Our generation is not knowledgeable may be literate.  Literacy means which generates a lot of wealth in terms of money.  I then did research and I recalled having read Sam Ved in Gujarati.

Som Ras and Som Paan is an integral part of Aryans.

Bhang is offered to Lord Shiv as it heals his pain of consuming poisonous substances during Samudra Manthan. In general, devotees offer even milk to relive his sufferings which Lord Shiv consumed to save the universe.

Indian history and Hindu Aryan culture have the tradition to use cannabis, bhang, and other plants as medicine.  The mention is found in Atharva Ved.  There is also mention of Soma Paan by Indra Dev Sukta 56 – 5348.  Consumption of Soma Ras made from herbs on the holy mountain of Himalaya gives the different abilities and sparkling personality.  It was used as medicine for different diseases and during surgery in ancient India.  The mention is in Sushrut Samhita.

There is also mention of Madya Paan in Chandipath in Adhyay 3 mantra 34-35 where the supreme powered goddess consumes Madhypan before elimination of devil Mahishasur.

Cannabis and its derivatives (marijuana, hashish/charas, and bhang) were legally sold in India until 1985, and their recreational use was commonplace.  Consumption of cannabis was not seen as socially deviant behavior and was viewed as being similar to the consumption of alcohol.  Ganja and Charas were considered by upper-class Indians as the poor man’s intoxicant, although the rich consumed bhang during Holi.

The United States began to campaign for a worldwide law against all drugs, following the adoption of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs in 1961.  Article 49 of the Convention required Parties to completely abolish, over a maximum period of 25 years from the coming into force of the Convention, all quasi-medical use of opium, opium smoking, coca leaf chewing, and non-medical cannabis use.  All production and manufacture of these drugs were also to be abolished within the same time periods.  Only Parties for which such uses were “traditional” could take advantage of the delayed implementation; for others, prohibition was immediate.  As the maximum time ended in 1989, these practices are today fully prohibited, and the drugs may be used only for domestically regulated medical and scientific purposes.

However, India opposed the move and withstood American pressure to make cannabis illegal for nearly 25 years.  American pressure increased in the 1980s, and in 1985, the Rajiv Gandhi government succumbed and enacted the NDPS Act, banning all narcotic drugs in India.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANCIENT INDIAN CANNABIS AND TODAY’S NARCOTIC SUBSTANCE?

In ancient India, Som Paan was enjoyed by supreme lords and kings as they had to fight devils and evil forces, which we discussed above.  There was no “Drug abuse” by common citizens. Today’s narco substance is processed and also contains synthetic chemicals.  But the problem started during World War I,  there was extensive use of  drug in the United States.  Due to war army and even common citizens started consuming a combination of morphine, heroin, opium, and cocaine to defeat feelings of fear and depression.  This created a growing fear of drug abuse.  Usage of Opium during World War was introduced in the USA by  Chinese immigrants, African Americans used cocaine, and morphine, people got addicted to it as physicians prompted more and more restrictive legislation and antagonism to easy access to those narcotic substances. Which led to the Harrison Anti-Narcotics Act of 1914 controlling the distribution of opiates and cocaine.

HISTORY OF  USAGE OF ALCOHOL AND CHINA:

Alcoholic beverages and hallucinogens traced back to 5600 B.C.  In places like China, alcoholic beverages like wine are mentioned in writings from 1046-221 B.C.  Since the effects of drugs and alcohol were discovered, people all around the globe have fallen into the trap of substance abuse.

WHAT IS EXCLUDED FROM NARCOTIC DRUG AND PSYCHOTROPIC SUBSTANCES ACT,1985, (NDPS ACT,1985 )

As per the NDPS Act, 1985, cannabis is defined in Section 2 (iii) of the act. According to this section cannabis (hemp) is defined as: (a) Charas – a separated resin, in whatever form, whether crude or purified; obtained from the cannabis plant, which also includes the concentrated preparation and resin known as hashish oil or liquid hashish; (b) ganja – the flowering or fruiting tops of the cannabis plant, (excluding the seeds and leaves when not accompanied by the tops), by whatever name they may be known or designated; and (c) any mixture, with or without any natural material, of any of the above forms of cannabis or any drink prepared therefrom.

Bhang does not fall within the definition of cannabis (hemp) as defined under Section 2 (iii) of NDPS Act, 1985.

WHY ONE SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THOSE WHO ARE BRAND AMBASSADORS OF NARCO SUBSTANCE CONSUMPTION? WHY IT’S A CRIME TO SOCIETY AT LARGE?

Depending on the actual compound, drug abuse including alcohol lead to several crimes envisaged under IPC it also creates severe health problems, social problems, morbidity, injuries, unprotected sex, violence, deaths, motor vehicle accidents, homicides, suicides, physical dependence, or psychological addiction.

There is a high rate of suicide among alcoholics and other drug abusers.  The reasons believed to cause the increased risk of suicide include the long-term abuse of alcohol and other drugs causing physiological distortion of brain chemistry as well as social isolation.  Another factor is the acute intoxicating effects of the drugs may make suicide more likely to occur.  Suicide is also very common in adolescent alcohol abusers, with 1 in 4 suicides in adolescents being related to alcohol abuse.  Alcohol abuse is also associated with increased risks of committing criminal offenses including child abuse, domestic violence, rapes, burglaries, and assaults.  Poor people’s family gets shattered due to addiction to alcohol.  Children of poor remain malnourished (which is the most common reason for malnourishment among children). The dance bars are the epic center of evils.  Many marriages are broken and the rich became poor due to such addiction. Save your child from drugs and alcohol.  It will ruin his/her mental capacity to grow.

CONCLUSION

Just like a crypto claim “ terror has no religion”; the fact is  “ drug does not see the religion of addict”. It just destroys … SAY NO TO DRUGS

Shruti Desai

7th November,2021