INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN... XIII

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN XIII

SCENE XIII

( Mohandas Karam chand Gandhi is seen singing Ramdhun sitting under a tree at the outshirts of City of Sanjose in California State. The scene is serene, with calm wind blowing. The sun has already set and light is very dull .Large trees are swaying.)



Gandhi… Ram…... Ram… .Raghupathi Raaghava Raaja raam… Pateetha pawana Seetha ram…..Seetharam jai seethe ramm.. Sab kp sanmathi de Bhagwaan… Jai Raghunandana…Jai sia raam..

( salutations to Lord Rama. The liberator of sins.. Oh Ram. Give some wisdom to all…)

( Gandhi is engrossed in the song and closes eyes while clapping.. In the mean time a lean and vey thin famished Muslim Gentleman is seen walking on the road and he sees Gandhi and goes to him. He is putting on a long Shewani ( Long Muslim coat) and sports a fez cap. He looks as if suffering from TB)

Muslim Gentle man. Hello sir.. Did you recognize me?

( Gandhi opens his eyes and appears surprised)

Gandhi.. Namste Jinnah Sahib. What a surprise?

Jinnah. Aadab ( Muslim salutation) Gandhi Sahib. We did not meet ever since 1947

Gandhi. True. Where was time? I was shot dead by Godse soon. You also died soon

Jinnah. True. All have to go some day. By the by what are you doing here? Why sitting on the road side? You were father of nation.

Gandhi. That is till I was alive. Once dead, everything is on paper. Laughs. Ha..haaa.haaa

Jinnah. Heee…..heeee….heeee. Sorry I have disturbed.. Go ahead with your prayer

Gandhi. Thanks.( Sings)

Raam naam japna…. ( Sing name of Lord Rama)

Jinnah.. Aur poora maal apna ( And entire things are ours)

Gandhi. Nahee ( No) Na poora Maalka Sapna..Naa poor maal hai apna

( No..No.There is no dream of entire thing of being mine or entire thing is not mine)

Ram nam Japna…

Jinnah. Parai maal apna ( Others property is mine)

Gandhi. Very true. Jinnah. You are singing what exactly you have done

Jinnah. What I have done? Mohan das. Tell me

Gandhi. You took away a portion of India. That was not apna mall ( own property). It was parayaa maal ( Others property).

Jinnah. Come on Gandhi. Muslims had to stay out. So I got Pakistan. Laughs heee.. heee.See. How you are suffering even after 60 years?

Gandhi. But you are suffering more. Your country is about to disappear. It is in million problems. No one can save it

Jinnah So you are very happy

Gandhi. No least. I want all to be happy and flourish

Jinnah. I also want that way. But my successors have ruined everything. Our army will not allow democracy to flourish.

( In the mean time, some youth come that way selling some snacks, Toffees. They come to Gandhi. They are Santosh and Sajjan )

Santosh. Hello.Sir. Mind some snacks. Very cheap

Gandhi. No thanks. I am old and should not east those things. You guys appear to be

Indians. What are you doing here?

Sajjan. Sir We were software engineers in silicon valley. We lost jobs with recession. No money to go back. Surviving like this sir.

Santosh. If we go back to India what can we do there? It is still worst there

Jinnah. But after all, it is your motherland.

Santosh. It is no ones land. It is soon going to be a terrorist land

Sajjan. True. Sir I belong to Hyderabad. But I do not know where I am .. in Pkaistan or India… All troubles start from there. Half the Bangla refugees hide in Hyderabad and plan ill. Some time I feel I am in Karachi.

Jinnah.. Do not say that. It is not that bad

Santosh. Sir what he says is true.

Gandhi..( eee….eeee.. Cries) Shouts Mera Bharat.. Mera Bharat ( My India)

Jinnah. OK Boys. My time for Namaaz is getting close. I have to go

Gandhi. OK. Jinnah Sahib. Keep meeting whenever you find some time. But do not run for others property.

Jinnah. Ok Bye Aadab

( Jinnah goes away)

(Santosh and Sajjan also go away shouting.. Toffees, snacks, cheap.. come purchase…)

Gandhi gets up, picks up his stick and with a long sigh starts walking on the roadside.. on the wrong side.. Suddenly a speeding car is about to hit him and comes to halt with big sound.. A well built man shouts from the car..)

Man from car. You Joker. Why are walking on the wrong side of the road? You would have been killed

Gandhi. There is so much of space for you boy to go. Any how I am already dead

Man from car. Look I am not a boy. I have two wives and three kids. You are alive and talking. How do you say you are dead?

Gandhi. Hee…heeee When did America allow men marrying twice? You can not have two wives at one time. It is crime in America

Man. That is none of your business. Why are you violating rules?

Gandhi Look! Rules are there to be violated. Otherwise why make rules?

Man.( What a logic )Scratches his head. What type of argument?. You appear to be well educated

Gandhi. Yeah.. I am bar at Law from London

Man. Oh! How strange?

Gandhi. What is strange about it?

Man. You do not appear like that. You are so poorly dressed

Gandhi. I am poorly dressed. But I am not naked. Is not it? Do I look naked? What do you mean by being well dressed? Is Putting on a suit called well dressed? Better know it my boy.

Man. Oh . this guy appears to be some nut . I am getting crazy .eee….eeee.( pulls his hair.) I am driven to nuts.. oh…( Drives away in a zig zag manner.)

(Gandhi starts walking shaking his head laughing haa…haa.hhaaa sings….)

Ham hai rahi pyar ke.. Ham se kuch na boliye

Jobhi pyar se mila ham use ke holiye.. Ham usee ke holiye..

( I am a traveller of love,
Do not say any thing to me
Whoever meets me with love
I belong to him…)

From opposite side a horse man is seen coming. The man trots and reaches Gandhi

Gandhi. Hello Washington sir. How are you?. Nice to see you in this part of west coast

Washington ( Looking surprised) Sir! You told that you would go to India to take care of Indo Pak trouble. How come you are here? Is the conflict settled?

Gandhi. Sir . How can it settle so soon?. Both countries are shit sacred of each other. Both have atom bombs. But no country has really taken initiative so far

Washington. So it is some type of mock fight

Gandhi. True. Indians are shit scared about Pakistan that could drop nuclear bomb without any hesitation

Washington. Even then I am sure India would sing Ramdhun..

Gandhi. Please do not joke sir. We are not that bad.

Washington. Why they are hesitating then? Just see Israelis? What they have done to Hamas? That is the way Pakistan understands. For one kick received give back one hundred kicks.

Gandhi. Sir Indian guys have lot of patience. They are Gandhian to core. Till Pakistani come to India Gate at Delhi they may not react

Washington. Laughs … Haa…. Haaa….hiiii….hiiii. Even God can not help you guys. Even if Indian air force attacks the Pakistani terror targets, Pakistan will not use nuclear weapons. They will react with air force and rockets. This is the time you must hammer them black and blue.. They have limited fuel stocks. Hit them hard now. Their air force will be grounded. Do not allow Saudi oil to land. God only helps those who are daring and with guts and not for the nuts. Remember this. Know it. Digest it. I am telling from my own experience of civil war ( Sings).

You guys are famous for inaction
It appears it is your way and fashion
The guys next door hammers you
Then you are with us and cry as if having flu

( the horse dances while Washington sings)

Gandhi. Thanks sir . I shall convey to the high command. What is going on in India is pure puppetry.

Washington. That is your headache What else can you do? Do not call your inability to being tolerant.
OK bye Mr Gandhi. Better wake up you guys soon. Or else You will go for eternal sleep. History will not excuse you.

( He gallops away while Gandhi walks slowly with his stick.. At the corner of a road bend Kundan lal Saigal the great singer from India is seen sitting with his harmonium and singng He has scarf around his head like Shirdi Saibaba… He is seen gulping drops of whisky occasionally)


Saigal ( sings)

Chaha barbad kare gee hame maloom nathaa… Chahaa…
Routhe Routhe hi kategi hame maalum na tha.. Chaha Barbad..

Mout bhi hampe hasengi hame malum na tha
Zindagi Rog bane gi hame malum natha… Chaah..

( I did not know that desire would ruin me
And I did not know that the life would be spent crying
I never knew that death would laugh at me
And did not know that life would be full of pain and disease)

Gandhi. Listens to song and cries.. eee….eee.. and he gets hiccups

(Saigal sees Gandhi and runs to him)

Saigal.. Bapu what happened why are you crying. When did you come to east coast? Last time I met in Washington DC

Gandhi. Saigal sahib. I heard your song. It is so befitting to us. What you sang is true. I never knew that running after independence from Englishmen would cause ruin to us. I never realized that we would land in misery due to Pakistan next door troubling us. We are unable to die and are unable to live. Even death is laughing at us. How true is the song from Movie Shahjehan

Saigal. True Bapu. The biggest desire at that time was to get independence. If we did not run after independence there would not have been Pakistan and there would not have been the crisis of Kashmir and terrorism due to it. English men would have taken crae of our security. We are unable to take care of our own country.

Gandhi. Truly said

( Saigal picks up a whisky bottle and gulps some liquor )

Gandhi. Saigal sahib that is bad. I am still here

Saigal. Bapu .Look other way ( Sings)

Koyee bhi manush kitnahi bura ho

Hothee hai thodi bhi bhalayee….

Eeeswar ka gunek yahee bhi

Kaaton mein phoola khilaa dena….aain…

Saath manush ke gayi burayee
Rah gayi uski bhalayee
Tum bhi manme prem ko rakhna
Aur katon ko hasaa dena… Aain…Yum bhi manme...

( A man may be any amount bad
Yet he has some good quality
The God has one of the qualities
And he makes flowers to blossom among thorns
With death man’s illness goes away
And good only remains
You must keep love in your heart
And make thorns laugh)

Gandhi. Too good Saighal Sahib. What a nice song and philosophy

Saigal. Bapu. It is from movie Lagan a great musical hit from 1937. By the by Bapu. I forgot to ask. Why you have come this side? Why are you alone walking?

Gandhi. You know! Pakistan and India are at logger heads now over Bombay terror attacks. I came to seek some American help.

Saigal. Bapu. Could you get some thing?

Gandhi. Nothing much. Washington was skeptical about our capabilities. He says we are unable to take any decisions. I am sure he thinks us to be clueless lot.

Saigal. I think he rightly said. What is wrong in that

Gandhi. Come on Saigal. Are we that bad?

Saigal. Bapu I did not say we are bad. As a nation we are not assertive. We are shit scared lot. We are scared to take actions. We are most vote concious. Our policies alawys are tagged with votes that too of minorities. Remaining in seat is more important than nations honour and well being

Gandhi. So Are we going to be condemned soon? Oh God! Pakistan would blackmail us eternally.

Saigal. But Bapu this is truth( Sings) Panchi re.. ye.. ye..Panchee… Kahe ko Hota udaas… Pancheee

Too Thodana mun kee aas panchee… too thodana mankee aas Panchee…


( hey birdie why get into despair

Never loose hope Oh Birdie…)

Gandhi.. True Saigal. We must have hope. Some day a strong and dynamic leader would rise and save India like Indira Gandhi. Like a sphinx rising from ashes


Saigal. True Bapu. Let us have hope. That means first we must turn into ashes…. So be it Let us cheer up..( Saigal gulps some drink while Gandhi looks other way) Cheer up
Saigal sings…


Aai dil e bekara jhoom aai dil e beak rar jhoom

Aab ye bahaar aagaya… Doure fiza chala gayaa

Ishk muraad paaa gaya…..
( Gandhi claps….An American bald eagle sitting on a tree nearby laughs at Gandhi and flies off flapping its large wings slowly)

CURTAIN DROPS


Dr K Prabhakar Rao