INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN......XVIII

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…XVIII

Scene XVIII

Prof Dr Colonel K Prabhakar Rao ( Retired)

(In the center of a posh room John Kennedy and General Washington are seen sitting. They are having drinks. Both are serious and appear highly involved. In the mean time the sentry gets in)

Sentry. Sir! There is a guy outside and he calls himself MK Gandhi, He is poorly dressed. Shall I allow him in?

Washington. By all means. He has great convictions. He feels most of the poor in India can not afford good clothes. So he dresses up like this. I know him. He is a great guy.

Kennedy. Yeah. That is true

(Gandhi walks in with his drape , dhoti and stick.)

Gandhi. Dear friends, Sorry to disturb you. I came to USA yesterday and thought I must meet you

Washington. That is fine sir. Kindly be seated. How about some drink?

Gandhi. Thanks sir, I do not drink I do not mind if some goat milk is brought. How are things here? The term of George Bush is coming to an end. Soon Obama would be in white house. Every one is highly expecting

Kennedy. Hello. Who is there? Get some goat’s milk

( After few minutes a she Goat is brought there. It is milked then and there by the sentry and warm milk is served to Gandhi.. Goat shouts meh…mehh..mehh and is taken away.)

Gandhi. Thanks. ( He sips milk and with Dhoti cleans lips). Yeah we were discussing some change in America with Obama getting in to white house.

Kennedy. Yeah. That always happens. But with every president, some problems would come up. Some challenging and some self made things

Washington. Look! Nixon had water gate scandal. Reagan was shot at , but he survived.

Kennedy. Clinton had some sex scandals. Senior Bush had Iraq-Kuwait war. Now Junior Bush has terrorist headache. Obama can not come out of Afghanistan unless he destroys Pakistan. He is sure to induct more troops into that place. It is not Afghanistan. It is Pakistan which is the problem. It has to be taken over or nuke some places.

Gandhi. But there are no scandals with Bush. It was only Iraq war that people did not accept. But the guy has reacted very sharply to Al-Qaida attack. That must be appreciated

Washington. Look Mr Gandhi! People’s memory is very short. They forget soon. Imagine the instant when WTC happened. The nation was in shambles. There was great shock. This man rallied every one around him. That itself is very great. What is the duty of the president ? He inspired every one. He has also shown what America means to the crooks.

Kennedy. Even during Cuban crisis I was prepared for war. If I had not acted tough the missiles would have been kept in Cuba permanently. How can I allow them?

Washington. True. You did correctly and it was expected out of the President.

Gandhi. Look ! There are so many guys craving for blood of Bush.

Washington. Public opinion changes over a time. White appears black for some and black appears white for some again, That is the game that goes on eternally in democracy

Gandhi. So Democracy can be defined as the process by which at times majority of fools can bring in change in the system even if it was good earlier.

Washington. That was a very good definition indeed. I define democracy as :

Democracy is of nuts, by the nuts and for the nuts.. that is when people loose direction

Kennedy. It can be also termed as

It is for the fools, by the fools and of the fools

Gandhi. This may be a bit very strong Sir. I would say Democracy is for the jokers, of the jokers and by the jokers particularly in reference to my place now a days when all types of inaction and mischief takes place.

Washington. Aaahaa…haaaa…haa. But everywhere it is same. No one is great.

Gandhi. Sir what is going on in Gaza? How long Israel would bomb the helpless guys

Kennedy. But why those Hamas guys should fire rockets unnecessarily. Then why cry now?

Gandhi. True. But it is seen as over reaction

Kennedy. That you may think. But Israel does not think. There is a saying that even a small snake must be hit with a strong stick. That is what Israel doing.

Gandhi. Poor innocent kids are also getting killed in bombings

Washington. What can be done?

Gandhi. I feel sad the Palestine problem is going on eternally. Sir! can’t we find some solution?

Washington. Look The Arabs are very adamant. They do not want Israel there. Where they will go? Why should they go?

Kennedy. No one can solve their problem. Time only should solve it. Could you solve Kashmir problem?

Gandhi.. No..

Kennedy. Same is the case here. Bye the bye what happened to Pakistan and handing over of criminals to you?

Gandhi, Do you think they will hand over?

Kennedy. No one will hand over. Americans only made some noise because some Americans were killed at Bombay.

Gandhi. Now all are keeping quiet. Indians have become fools finally.

Washington. ( within himself… As if they were not) Hee.. hee. You should have taken your own actions. You delayed things

Gandhi. We really thought that Americans would make sure that they would hand over criminals

Kennedy. How naïve you are Mr Gandhi? Look your war has to be fought by yourself. Not by any one. When are you going to learn things Mr Gandhi?

Gandhi. True.

Kennedy. Look Mr Gndhi. You have to be bold. Do not practice what is not possible. Your days are over. Let India come out of your hold and influence. Then only it will be taking strong actions. Look ! No one will give Nobel prize to Indians. You did not get. Nehru did not get. I am sure Dr Man Mohan Singh will not get even if he has avoided war. That is more because of fear and incapability.

Washington. MrKennedy kindly spare him. Let him realize himself. India suffers basically by Gandhi syndrome. Unless it comes out of it, its enemies would play merry hell with it. They have to learn hard way. Why preach? It is no use

Kennedy. True

Gandhi. Thanks sir. Probably you are true. Our people have misunderstood Gandhism. They take Gandhi for inaction and laziness and dilly dallying

Washington. True. You know it better.

Gandhi. OK sir! Thanks, see you again.

( Gandhi departs along with his stick)

CURTAIN DROPS


Dr K Prabhakar Rao