INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LIII

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LIII

SCENE…LIII

Prof Dr Colonel K Prabhakar Rao ( Retired)

( Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen sitting on a bench in the Public Gardens in Hyderabad city. There are many visitors around and hot summer has made lives miserable to every one)

Gandhi. Look Patel. Life is miserable in this city. There are no limits to power cuts. To day I had no power in my room for a long time.

Patel. I also had same problem Bapu. Life is hell here.

Nehru. What we can do? This is a global problem. Recession has affected every thing in the world.

Patel. But there should be some thing that is systematic. The government has gone in for modernization of Andhra Pradesh Electricity sector and privatized Generation.

Gandhi. I learnt they made many power purchase agreements (PPA) with many guys. They goofed up everything. Still there is power shortage. Some thing drastically is wrong with these guys. It is shameful that after 60 years of independence we do not have proper power to customers .All these PPA could be just sham to make money.

Patel. True. Bapu To day was taking bath in my room and suddenly power went off. At the same time water also was exhausted. Pipes went dry. I came out and wiped off the body off the soap. Just now I cleaned my self in this garden at that pond.

Gandhi. But that water is very dirty in that small pond. I saw buffaloes squatting there half an hour ago.

Patel. What to do? Some thing is better than nothing.

Nehru. I am lucky. I have not taken bath to day because there was no power and no water in my room too..hee..hee

Gandhi.. heee…heeee..haa..haaa

( Gandhi, Nehru and Patel hold hands and do jig singing)

We are Gandhi, Nehru and Patel
And we are the past great heroes
Although many years have passed
And even now we are not zeroes

It is fine we have not bathed today
And there was no power and water in our room
The local rulers claim they have plenty of power
They say just lies and be brushed off with a broom

( Some on- lookers gather around hearing the trio and clap in appreciation. In the mean time a Chowkidar of the garden arrives)

Chowkidar. What is happening here? Why so many guys are here? Who are these dancing?

Gandhi. We are Gandhi, Nehru and Patel.

Chowkidar. Why are you half naked here? It does not look good. Many ladies also come here. They would get offended.

Patel. We are not naked. Look we are putting on Dhothi and drape

Chowkidar. But why are you dancing and criticizing rulers? That is not good.

Patel. But what to do? Did you have power in your house?

Chowkidar. No.

Patel. Are you happy?

Chowkidar. No. But I have to lump it. I am a government worker. What I can do?

Patel. That is why country is like this. You accept everything of the rulers. So have to suffer like this..haa..haaa. you also vote for them.

( In the mean time a water tanker arrives there and water is splashing out of the lid continuously. The rear valve is badly leaking and water is gushing out of the rear pipe. The driver is happily driving the vehicle and least bothered. Gandhi gets worked up seeing the wastage of water)

Gandhi. Hey driver! Is this way you take care of your vehicle?

Driver. What is wrong? What I have done? Who are you to ask me? Why should you bother?

Patel. We are surely bothered. You are wasting water while at many places there is no water. Don’t you feel ashamed?

Driver. Come on. Behave yourself. You can not question me. Are you my boss?

Chowkidar. Oh Bahia. Better go away from here and pour water to the garden.

( Driver goes away and starts pouring water to the lawns. In the mean timea herd of buffaloes arrive on the scene seeing plenty of water. The main gate is open and they rush in at breakneck speed pushing aside some on lookers and some parked scooters fall down in heap. The buffaloes a dozen in number roll on the watered lawns to get relief from heat. They are very happy in that state. The Chowkidar tries to drive them away and the buffaloes do not bother and give angry look at him and he backs out. He picks up his mobile and rings up some one. After ten minutes the care taker of the garden arrives there with some security staff. In the mean time another fifty buffaloes arrive from the gate seeing the ones already rolling there)

Care taker. Shh…Shh.. from where these buffaloes have come?

Chowkidar. I do not know sir

Patel. I shall tell you. Some time ago there was some procession by some men outside on the road and they were protesting against injustice being done to buffaloes by government and they were taking hundreds of buffaloes in procession to chief ministers office that is close by. These animals came from there seeing water.

Care taker. Who are you? Why are you dressed like Sardar Patel

Patel. What do you mean I am the real Patel. Have you seen my statue near Public garden

Care taker. But he died long ago. You are a joker. I am sure.

(The care taker by mistake steps on a buffalo and it kicks him hard and he falls far off with a broken leg)

Care taker. Bacho.. aa.. margaya… ayyo…ammo.

( Some sentries take a stick and beat the animal and it is annoyed. The buffalo goes to him close and urinates . The guy is fully drenched, Seeing this Gandhi and his friends laugh loudly. Seeing this more people gather there and the crowd swells in strength. Seeing the commotion a police patrol jeep arrives with some police men. From it emerges a fat police inspector with a lathi.)

Inspector. What is the problem? Why this commotion close to secretariat and assembly?

Chowkidar. Sir These three guys looking like Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are trouble makers. They are abusing the CM too. In the mean time these animals have come. I am sure these men are behind this trouble.

Inspector.( Looking at Trio) Who are you and what is the problem? Why are you abusing the CM? Are you from opposition parties? I shall show you what I am.

Gandhi ( sings and does jig)

Soon you will know what I am
I am the one that you are not aware
I am Gandhi the great leader of India
And am least bothered and do not care

Chowkidar. Look Inspector Sahib. Have you heard? He behaves like this.

Inspector. I shall sort him out. Wait.

( Inspector lifts his lathi and tries to hit Gandhi. A buffalo that is close to Gandhi rises up and angrily looks at Inspector. It draws its front leg on the ground. It hisses loudly and crashes into the police inspector and the guy is tossed up into air and falls into pool. All the buffaloes get up and form a front in front of Gandhi, Patel and Nehru and show their strength. They pretend as if they rush at them and police men are shit scared and they drive away in jeep. Chowkidar climbs a near by tree. The care taker is nowhere seen.)

Gandhi. That is good. There is plenty of water left in the truck. Let us take bath and go

( Gandhi, Patel and Nehru take bath at the truck and after some go out of the garden along with buffaloes singing Ramdhun.)

CURTAIN FALLS

Dr K Prabhakar Rao