INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN......121

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..121

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

( A large dry lake is near Hyderabad and there is no drop of water in the lake. Some cattle and sheep are seen grazing in the grass in the dry bed of lake. Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen walking on the tank bund that has rows of old banyan trees.)

Gandhi. Patel and Jawaharlal have you seen the lake. It has no drop of water in it.

Patel . True

Nehru. This is common now a days. There are no rains these days

Gandhi. OK. I know that. But the catchment areas of this lake have been occupied by various housing complexes and scamsters and land grabbers with political clout have occupied such areas.

Patel. That is very common, Revenue guys will have to be in hand in league with them.

Gandhi. Result is what we are seeing now. I remember once I came here some years ago. This lake was full and water was so much that it was almost touching the top of this bund.

Pate, I see. Gandhi. What is there to see?

Patel. Sorry Bapu.

Gandhi. That is fine.

( In the mean time they find some tractor trollies arriving on the lake bed Soon many people get down from the trolleys. Gandhi and his friends too get down the bund quickly and walk to the tractors. They find some official holding some register)

Gandhi. Hello sir. What is going on? Are you grabbing this land of the lake?

Official. How you are bothered? Who are you guys? We did not call you.

Gandhi. Why I should not bother when some mischief goes on?

Official. How do you say mischief is going on here?

Gandhi. It looks so. First you are not polite being a govt servant. You are very rough ad crude too. I may have to report to collector if you do not behave.

Official. You beggars. Will you go to collector? Do you think you can reach there?

Gandhi. Are you going to kill me on the way?

Official. Did I say that?

Gandhi. You meant that only.

Official. I meant you will not be allowed in at collectorate

Patel. Very clever you are. You twist words.

Official. That is why I am a govt servant hi. Hi ( does jig and sings)

I am very clever guy
And work for the rulers here
I am also crooked to the core
That you would find nowhere

( The people who got down from the trolleys one by one sign in the register held with the official and they are asked to pluck grass in the lake bed)

Nehru. What is this going on? Why they are plucking grass

Official. This is the government programme called Aaharaaniki pani Pathakam. There is not much agriculture is going on now in villages due to famine conditions. So govt arranges some work on govt lands and the laborers are paid for the work done. Plucking grass is one of them

Patel. I see. What are the other types of work?

Official. The next batch plant all the grass plucked by the previous batch. We also ask them to count stones in the land here allotted to each person. They are asked to count leaves in a tree. At times we ask them to dig trenches at the roadside and after few days others are asked to fill them.

Patel. What a waste of time?

Gandhi. But they are paid for it and instead of giving like to beggars govt is asking them to do something.

Patel. Hee..hee..heee

Official what is there to laugh? Is it appearing like some Tamasha?

Nehru. Then what else?

(The official keeps the register on the tractor and goes to monitor the work. Patel in the mean time sees the register and calls Gandhi)

Patel. Bapu. Look. In the register there are 450 peoples names and I find only 125 guys physically present here. But all signatures are there with revenue stamps.

Gandhi. That is obvious. The balance 325 is fake and that amount is swindled and shared by all officials.

(The official sees Gandhi and Patel near tractor and runs to them. In the mean time Patel takes photographs of pages from the register)

Official. What are you guys doing with the register? In what way you are concerned?

Patel. I am concerned like this. See now.

(Patel takes out a digital camera and takes long shots of all the people working in the lake)

Patel. Look. Mr Pullesh. From my camera ,I can count all the people working now and compare to your register. You have committed a fraud, You employed only 125 people and claiming money for 450 people. Each guy gets Rs 150 per day and 325x 150 will be Rs 48750 /00 and this will be swindled by you per day.

Gandhi. You must be doing this almost for nearly20 days in a month. If you do like this each day you will make Rs 975000/00 for 20 days.

Official. What are you talking? This is all cock and bull.

Patel. This is only smallest example I gave you. If you employ more fakes each day the amount will be much more. If number of days are more again money you can swindle also will be more


Official.( starts perspiring) sir. Please excuse me. Please mujhe maaf karo. I never knew you are very clever. Are you from intelligence?

Nehru. We are not from intelligence department. But we are intelligent.

Official. (Scratches his head) Ohfo. What a confusion!. What is this English?.( Looking at Gandhi) Sir Please save me. Shall I write your names too here? You need not work. I shall pay for whole month. You give me your address. I shall see that money reaches you daily.

Patel. Shut up now. Enough of it. Behave yourself. I shall report to collectorate.

Gandhi. Well done.

Nehru. With this, will stop all corruption in the country?

Gandhi. We have to start some where. Let us go from here.

( The trio suddenly vanish into thin air)


CURTAIN FALLS