5. It is a fact that among Bhuians, Hos, Santals and other adi basis ‘Handia‘ or rice juice is used from time immemorial in all religious and ceremonial occassions. Use of ‘Handia‘ on religous and ceremonial occassions has been strictly prohibited. Those adibasis who break these laws are severely punished and the offenders have to suffer both imprisionment and fines. Even in the present day there is a great many under trial adibasi prisioners whose only offence was that they had used ‘Handia‘ for appeasing their gods on some religious occassions and some ‘Chalnis‘ (Bamboo sheaves) were recovered from their houses.
