INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...293

                             INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…293

                                   Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are seen  wandering on the secretariat road in Hyderabad. They appear   relaxed and dressed in their usual attire. )

Gandhi. Patel. It is long since we came to this city. Last time we were here, there was great turmoil in the city. We now see more police men than people on streets. This looks like Police state.

Patel. True Bapu, It was the time when Telangana agitation was active.

Gandhi. Now all is quiet. Is the movement for separate state dead?

Patel. No Bapu. It is not dead. It is still there. Only thing is that all are tired of it including the leaders.

Gandhi. I  see that these leaders are not serious about achieving the state. Otherwise, it will not be like this. Has any one gone on fast up too death?  Has any leader  died for the cause?

Patel. None Bapu. Of course Prof Jay Shankar the architect of the movement passed away due to natural causes. All leaders are scared. They want power in the new state. Only thing is that they threaten often that will  go on fast. In past they did this Tamasha only to break it  soon saying that it is better to live to achieve than dying.

Gandhi. Haa..haa.. hoo..hoo..hee..hee

Patel. Bapu. The leaders in this state are very selfish. Every one wants power. The ministers and MLA from ruling party in the state from Telangana region boast that they are spearheading the cause for separate state. If they are so committed , what prevents them from resigning from the party and show their support to cause. They want to ride two horses at the same time. They want perks, power, position as ministers and MLA and also want power when new state arrives.. Haa..haa..haa What a joke. Not one, all are like this. Shall I  shout their names?

Gandhi. No . No Not required.  These guys are like Garden lizards. They can change colors every second. Leave them to their fate. History will not spare them. They will go down as traitors.

Patel. Bapu. Recently some MP from ruling party left Congress party. The high command said they are least bothered and that these guys were of no consequence. The guys who resigned  changed stance and   are still  sticking to party fearing CBI that can be let loose on them.The guys who left are spent cartridges.

Gandhi. Are things so bad now?

Patel. True.  I do not know what is going to happen to Telangana.

Gandhi. What did   Azad   say now? He keeps saying something or other.

Patel. Is it Chadrasekhar Azad?

Gandhi. Come on Patel. He died long ago in Alfred park in Kanpur by shooting himself with a pistol when he was surrounded by British Police men. I am saying about Ghulam Nabi Azad, the guy who keeps giving statements on Telangana now and then contradicting his own statements.

Patel. He said more discussions are required  for deciding.

Gandhi. How many more discussions are required. Earlier Krishan committee was there. They played flute and spent crores of rupees. They wasted every ones time aprt from wasting their own time and making Tamasha of themselves.They have been discussing.. and discussing without any outcome. Ha..haa.haa.

Patel. Ho..ho..ho..ho.. hee..hee

Nehru. Why you guys are laughing like this?

Gandhi. Why we should not laugh? This is a correct situation for laughing. Take it easy boy. Relax at times.

Patel. Bapu I shall tell a joke that is appropriate. When Panditji was in office, once  he was  giving a talk in reply to a question in parliament. He said,  I deliverd .. I delivered.. I delivered.. He was struggling for some words. One senior opposition leader shouted, “But gave birth to none”   All  broke into laughter. Now also  these central leaders and high command are trying to deliver some  judgment. But they failed to  produce any thing. Ha..haa..haa

Gandhi. Heee..hee..hooo.hooo.

Nehru. I am going  Bapu. I can not stand this talk.

Gandhi. Come on Jawahar, Relax and learn to be sportive. Learn to  enjoy humour.

Patel. These central guys are going to drag on the issue till the elections. If they do not give new state , Congress goose  would be cooked in the region. They will not win single seat in Telangana. Poor Naidu of TDP ( Telugu Desam party) is hoping to win. He would be in deep trouble as he has not supported the cause. The state party is in minority and is surviving wit the  help of TDP. Otherwise it will collapse. No  one wants to loose posts now. None is serious about the  new state. What we require are the sacrifices by the leaders. It is only youth who are  dying by hanging, drinking poison,  and by self immolation. No leader has committed such act. When the state comes through, the dead youth would vanish into history while the leaders will run for posts and power. How bad!

Gandhi. How sad! When we struggled for freedom   leaders were selfless. They left studies, professions and families and sacrificed lucrative careers. Both of you left your law practice and helped me.

Patel. But as   freedom  came close and close many developed self interests.  Is it not a fact Bapu?

Gandhi. I can not answer this. I was  not selfish. If I was selfish I would have become President of the country.My children would have been ministers. I would have established dynastic rule.

Patel. But you helped Jawaharlal to become PM although I had mandate.

Gandhi.  Why discuss the old one? There is no point in digging skeletons.  We already had plenty of minorities. We wanted a more acceptable candidate for PMs post. Your  hard views on minorities are well known.

Patel. I have only one theory. I do not do dual talk. I do not have split tongue.

Nehru. Look Bapu. He is aiming at me.  Am I a snake?

Gandhi. This is never ending argument. I am helpless. ( sings)

I am a poor half naked guy

I do not know how and why

You guys are always at blows

Light in your skulls will never glow

( He picks up a stone and hammers his own head violently)

( Nehru rushes to Bapu and pulls out the stone and throws it away. Sadly the stone hits a passer by in his face. He screams and collapses. People gather around him. Some men rush to  the trio and catch Nehru. They are Sher singh and Bhoot nath)

Bhoot nath. You guy! Why you hit him with stone?

Nehru. Did I? I only threw the stone

Sher singh. But it hit a person in the face. He fainted.

Gandhi. Sorry  brother. He did not mean to hit him. It is  a sad incident. I apologize for that

Bhoot nath. Your apology does not make him OK.

Gandhi. Then what should I  do.  If you want hit me withy stone. You are free to do it.

Bhootnath. We are not that cruel.

( In the mean time the guy who fell down gets up   and comes to them. He is Phirki ram .

Nehru. Bhai sahib. Are you fine. I never meant to hit you. It was an accident.

Phirki ram. Relax. I am fine.  Such things happen at times. You may please go.

( The trio walks away and sit on a road side bench)

Bhootnath. Bhai . What you have done? You lost a golden chance. You could have made some money from them. We would have sided you.

Phirkiram. Look brother. They appear to be very poor and old. What they can give to us? Let us go ( He walks away)

Bhootnath. Idiot guy he is. He does not know  how to live. We also lost golden chance. Let us go

( They also walk away)

 ( The trio sitting on the bench are serious )

Patel. Bapu. Forget this now. We were discussing Telangana

Gandhi. I am sure nothing will come now. People have been fooled as usual. It happened in 1956 and then in 1969. Now also same thing is happening.

Patel. Better we watch things. We can not do any thing

Gandhi. Let us go. As it is,  the place is not good. Everywhere police guys keep checking after the Jharkhand incident. All are shit scared particularly ruling party guys.

Patel. True. God bless them. Luckily there was no Salwa judum in this state.

Previous DGP in AP state Mr  Sen  was successful in curbing Maoists in the state

Gandhi. It is also learnt that center  does not want to give Telangana because this may also become  another Jharkhand.

Patel. What can we do Bapu? It is their luck

(In distance a philosophical song is heard in deep voice)

Ye jag hai pardes bande

Ye jag hai pardes.

Jana hai jeeke dekh Bande

Ye jag hai pardes

Jhooti hai  is jag ki maya

Tera kaya badal chaya

Kaal lutera  loote umariya..2

Har shabdon ka  bedh

Bande Ye jag hai pardes… (Immortal Surendranathji from Maya Machhindra 1951)  

(The trio walks off slowly )

                                                CURTAIN FALLS