Ganja may be made good for bandhs

Free Thinker *

Shopping List for Shivaratri at Singjamei Thong on 8th March 2016 :: Pix - Deepak Oinam

Out of 365 days nearly 200 days are decimated due to general strikes (bandhs), public curfew etc. The worst affected are the students (our future) and our economic activities particularly of those daily bread-earners and wage-earners.

Those who can afford these colossal wastage of time, knowledge and resources are very few.

Their children are studying outside the state and they have enough economic power to withstand all the odds associated with bandhs and blockades.

Unfortunately the majority people are to face the asperity of these prolonged strikes and curfews. Their children are not studying as the schools and colleges are not functioning properly; and majority of them cannot afford the luxury of private tuitions as their means are limited. In fact the economic hardship of the common people who are living hand to mouth is unimaginable.

If we genuinely want to continue with all our strikes, bandhs, blockades etc, we need to insulate ourselves from the undesirable repercussions. The most important thing is to empower the people economically so as to enable them to send their children outside the state for their studies and also to have a comfortable life despite perennial bandhs and blockades.

Umpteen times I have expressed my view to do away with the prohibition and also to encourage extensive commercialization of our local brew ‘Yu’. I believe the government is more than ready to do the needful as it is likely to generate huge employment and bring about unlimited economic opportunities. But there are few hurdles to cross. One day everyone will be ready for this; till then we may look for another lucrative viable venture.

Ganja (marijuana) business is an effective avenue for resource mobilization for the state as well as the general public. If I understand correctly ganja may be produced from the cannabis indica and cannabis sativa.

Both these plants are abundantly and wildly found in many parts of the state particularly along the river-banks and hill-slopes. In our state cannabis indica is more widely grown than cannabis sativa. Cannabis plants produce tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) to ward off cattle and animals. Since these plants are not eaten by herbivores their growth and spread is unhindered.

Some of our clever gentlemen have been exploiting these plants through ganja channel. Many people have also started growing cannabis illegally for commercial tapping of the plants.

Today, I would like to propagate the idea of legalizing the cannabis plantation and economic exploitation of ganja/marijuana. Under Section 10(a) of the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985, the State government may permit/regulate plantation, production, possession, purchase, sale, transport, inter-state export or import of cannabis plants. Under the aegis of this law the state of Uttarakhand has started extensive exploitation of these plants. In a way they have legalized the cannabis business.

As a result the state has earned huge excise revenue and at the same time a large number of people who are associated with cannabis cultivation and trading are greatly benefited.

I would like to urge upon the state government to legalize the cannabis plantation and commercial exploitation of the same in the similar line as the state of Uttarakhand had done by invoking the same law. Believe me, now-a-days a large part of the civilized world has accepted marijuana/ganja as a substance of recreation and medicine.

I don’t need to emphasize the recreational value of ganja because we have many experienced people .Most of them opine that our ganja is one of the best.

Medicinal use of marijuana/ganja is recognized all over the world and recently the subject has been further popularized by a publication from the State University of New York at Albany.

The benefits of ganja may be highlighted as follows:-it increases appetite, stimulates sleep, kills pain, decreases anxity, protects brain strokes, improves lung function, controls epileptic attacks, slows down progression of cancer & Alzheimer’s, induces non-violence. The last potent is extremely useful for the people living under tremendous duress of innumerable leaders and governments.

Let us legalize our beloved ganja (cannabis) and try to tap all its economic potentials. Bibek Debroy, a member of Niti Aayog, has also hinted the commercial capabilities of cannabis. As long as our children are getting the right kind of uninterrupted education (outside the side) and people remain economically sound we don’t need to worry much about the unending bandhs and blockades.

Our legalized (to be) cannabis cultivation and subsequent ganja business will certainly empower the masses economically.

Jai Bholenath! through your chillum please shower prosperity to both the hills and valley alike.