INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LII

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LII

SCENE ..LII

Prof Dr Colonel K Prabhakar Rao

( It is hot sun and Gandhi Patel and Nehru are seen walking at Masab Tank on the main road and they suddenly come across a huge crowd at a gate. There is a commotion and the people are looking agitated. Some women and girls are seen crying while few are hurling abuses at the sentries. Some gents are seen pleading with the sentries while some police men are seen trying to control the crowd. Gandhi and his friends run to the crowd)

Gandhi. Oh Bahia. What is the problem here? Why the ladies are crying? Have any one misbehaved with them. Why the girls are sobbing? There must be some thing.

Member of the crowd. Look Old man. My name is Lallu panju. We are all parents and we have come here with our wards. To day is EAMCET examination.

Gandhi. What is this examination?

Lallu. Don’t you know this? Strange. Are you new to this place

Patel. We are new to this world at present

Lallu. What does that mean? Any how EAMCET means Engineering and Medicine common Entrance test. Heee…heee. Better know it

Bapu. Then what happened?

Lallu. We are just late at the gate by two minutes and they have closed the gate. Look There are so many problems. Many of did not get three wheelers. Some autos failed on the way. There was some road blocks enroute. Some roads were blocked by Dharnas and political processions. What to do. Some of us even walked. They are not opening the gates.

Gandhi ( scratches head). They are right as per rules. Otherwise there is no limit. Guys keep coming even after one hour.

Lallu. But we were only two minutes late.

Gandhi. Why this craze for this course? What all these guys will do after getting degrees?

Patel. Bapu. The local government has no control on Technical education. They are permitting hundreds of Engineeringg Colleges. Most of them are in City and even district colleges are shifting to city. Earlier some colleges shifted to city under the bogey of Naxalite threat. They have minted money. There are no standards in these colleges. There are no teachers and there are no proper Heads of Institutions too. It is utter chaos.In some colleges there are no labs even. Library is an apology. Some never get journals. In some places mass copying goes on and is also encouraged to get better results. Very soon the number of colleges will go into thousand. Then the affiliating University will be again broken into another fifty universities. Another 50 guys will become vice chancellors. Heee…heee. A day may come when for every three colleges there will be a VC . Nice Isn’t it? More the merrier.For every one there is only one slogan. Make hay while sun shines. All roadside guys will join Engineering. Even the guys who do not pass inter will be surely given seat with a condition that they must pass inter before they clear 2 nd year B tech. There will not be detention and all will go to final year even if they do not pass single subject and attendance can be zero. All these youth will vote for the party that gives them these concessions as they did now. The present 8 year limit will be made 20 years soon to pass the degree.For every one there is only one slogan. Make hay while sun shines.hee..heee..haaa.. ou..ou..ou

Gandhi. Oh What a shit? Is this the present technical education?

Patel. At some places teachers submit fake certificates to get job and keep working till they are detected. It is atrocious.This is great way. ( Sings doing jig)

These colleges are nothing but shit
Shit shit and shit and only bull shit
Making money is the aim
But none wants to get blame

Nehru. Haa…haa..haaa ( does jig)


( In the mean time two girls faint down and collapse. One boy tears his shirt and violently screams and it appears that he has lost balance and become mad. Their parents are abusing the EAMCET authorities in filthiest language that is unprintable and cursing them. Some police men run and get a doctor and they pour water on the girl’s faces. Nothing happens. A person tries to pour kerosene on himself and tries to immolate himself while others are trying to stop him. There is a great commotion. The passers too stop their vehicles and join the crowd shouting.. Down…down…Commissioner Higher education down… down…Police suddenly become active. Truck load of armed police arrives wielding rifles with bayonets and wearing steel helmets as if they are going to war at Pak border. Even Army will not be dressed like this. More over these police men goose step. There is an additional SP (ASP) also with the team of police. Every time he keeps looking at his rank badge and IPS shoulder title. Some guys boo the police and throw stones too.)

Inspector. You guys. Disperse from here and enough of it. I shall give five minutes to disperse.In a movie style he spins his revolver with left hand.

Lallu. If we do not go, what will you do? Will you kill us. Kill. Kill. It is better we die than living in this country and in this state particular. ( He bears chest and shouts kill…kill.. me. Sings doing a jig)

You kill me kill me kill me
I shall be happy to die soon
What is the use of living in this state?
Soon I want to die and go to moon


Jeevan. What else you can do? You can kill your own country men. You are a bunch of useless guys and nuts. Show these rifles to terrorists and kill them, Not to us..

Naveen. Lallu Bhayya. Their rifles remain silent in front of terrorists. They run away. On innocents they show rifles. Without firing a shot they can get Ashok Chakra. Do you remember what happened at Bombay?

Lallu. Haa..haa.. True.. Police go back.. go back. Better fight goondas and terrorists. Not us.(He does jig mocking at Police)

( The whole crowd shouts Go back.. Go back.. Gandhi suddenly emerges from crowd and confronts police. With him are Nehru and Patel)

Gandhi. Oh Police Bhai. Are you showing your valor on these innocents who are unarmed? Are you going for war against them? Shame…shame

Inspector. Who are you? Are you the leader? Why are you dressed like Gandhi? Do you think we take pity? Better vanish or you had it. We shall make you sleep here.

ASP. Look Inspector. Be patient. Let us wait for some time

Gandhi. Officer, You appear to be some sane person and educated too although in uniform. Just think of situation. So many children came for the examination and they were late by just two minutes and these authorities have closed the gates. They were victims of circumstances. Is this city free of traffic jams? Is the government providing proper roads and transport to people? Wherever you go you find processions. If a minister goes some where, roads get blocked. Do you think people came purposely late for the examination? You have to be practical in your approach. Now you are showing rifles to these people. Are these enemies of nation? Are these weapons given to you for killing your citizens? Shame… shame. Why do these jobs? Better resign.

ASP. Enough of lecture and posing as Gandhi

Nehru. What do you mean officer? Show respect to the father of nation.

Patel. Better learn to behave with elders. You have put on uniform . It does not mean you have become a god.

(ASP gets annoyed and draws his pistol and aims at Patel in movies style.)

Patel. Look Officer. We have seen such guns many times pointing towards us. Then you were not even born. Probably your father was also no born.

ASP. I am different. You guys are acting smart as if you are real past leaders of this country.

Nehru. What do you mean? We are real leaders. Have you forgotten Gandhi, Nehru and Patel the iron man? Without us probably you guys would have been polishing the shoes of Englishmen. Hyderabad would have been in Pakistan. Razakars would have been ruling you.You would have been bending and saying salaams to Nizam sircar.

ASP. Come on, shut up, enough of it. Better behave and go away or I shall open fire.

Gandhi. You can not do any thing to three of us.

Inspector. I shall show.( looks at ASP) Sir. Give me orders. I shall whack these three guys.

ASP. I shall count ten from now and you guys must run away or I shall shoot.

Gandhi. Hee…heee

Nehru. Haa..haa…haa

Patel. Hoo..hoo..hoo ( Does jig )

( The time is up and ASP shouts fire pointing towards the trio. ASP himself fires 6 rounds with his 9mm pistol while Inspector opens fires three rounds with his 0.38 Smith and wesson revolver. Gandhi, Patel and Nehru wave hands and shout haa…haa..haa. Nothing happens to them. The crowd behind the trio run and hide behind the bridge that is close by. ASP fires again and the magazine is emptied. Inspector empties his revolver. ASP orders six rifle men to fire on the trio. They raise their 7.62 SLR rifles and fire complete magazines at the trio. Gandhi and Nehru and Patel laugh loudly. ASP picks up a machine gun from a constable and shoots from his hip. Complete magazine is emptied. Nothing happens. The trio does jig and laughs.)

Gandhi. Look officer and your stooges. You can not kill us. We are real Gandhi and Nehru and Patel. Now I shall show you what we can do.

ASP. What you can do? I shall call full police battalion with medium machine gun from army. I shall show you then

Gandhi. heee…heee

( Gandhi looks at the police men with fire in his eyes and gestures like Mandrake the magician and twists his hand violently. All the police men along with ASP and Inspector are thrown into winds and fall pell mell in Hussein Sagar lake. They shout… bacho..bacho.. arre bhai margaya… aaa…eee….eeee.. The crowd returns jubiliant and sing praises of the trio. They shout Gandhi ki jai.. Nehru ki Jai.. Patel ki Jai..)

Gandhi. Ok guys, Be brave and fight injustice. I am always with you, Bye

( In the distance song is heard)

Ham laaye hai toofanse kishtee nikalke
Is desh ko rakna mere bacho sambhalke
Tum hee bhavishy ho mere Bharat vishal ke
Is desh ko rakna mere bacho sambhalke

( In the mean time some armoured cars from local army garrison with Medium Machine guns and belt ammunition arrive along with many police vans. NBut they can not find any one there. They are confused and finally go back)


( The trio walk away slowly singing Ramdhun at a far off distance)

CURTAIN FALLS