INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..LIV

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…..LIV

Prof Dr Colonel K Prabhakar Rao (Retired)


( Gandhi Patel and Nehru standing at Charminar at Hyderabad and are admiring it. The area is busy with scores of vehicles going pell mell. There are many police men in various uniforms in that area and looks like a place under siege. There is riot police present at Charminar)


Gandhi. Look Jawaharlal. This area looks a bit strange. This Charminar no doubt is great and marvelous and there is no match to it. But there is an air of suspicion every where.

Nehru. It may be partly true. This area was like this ever since I knew

Patel. Bapu. This is a notorious area. Most of the communal troubles emanate from here. This is the rallying point for trouble makers of old city

Bapu. Why so? I can not understand (Scarches his bald head).

Patel. Basically old city is dominated by minority community. Here poverty is very rampant. Roads are congested. There is no development. All flareups start from here. Therefore police is always present. There are lanes, by lanes all interlaced. Police vehicles can not reach some places. For hoodlums these lanes are some sort of paradise. Charminar is identified with Hyderabad. Kuli Kutub shah built it in 16 century as a sign of victory over plague that tormented the city. To day the edifice is getting screwed by pollution. There are many foreign agents hiding in these areas. Many ISI agents also are hiding and is difficult to catch them.

Gandhi. Shall we climb over Charminar?

Nehru. That is not permitted. They permit up to the roof level . We are not allowed to climb minarets,

Bapu. Why?

Patel. Some time ago some guys committed suicide by jumping from the upper levels.

Gandhi. Ohfo that was bad really. Shall we go about Charminar atleast?

Patel. Sure bapu.

( They go around and at some corner they find a small temple touching Charminar)

Bapu. What is this Patel. A temple is here so close on the road itself

Patel. Bapu, Hyderabad is like that only. It is famous for graves and temples right on the roads. Nothing can be done about them. Roads can not be widened. If Municipality touches them there is a communal flare ups.

Bapu. I see. Real difficult indeed. If some auto rikshw hits it while going around what will happen.

Patel. Just simple and if the vehicle belongs to a driver from minority community people had it. There will immediate riot. There is another historic mosque close by that is called Mecca Maszid and some time ago blasts occurred and there was serious ttrouble

Gandhi. Ohfo. Better go from this place soon. I feel scared here

( The trio start walking on foot path and there is hardly any space there. Entire foot paths are occupied by hawkers . they want to catch an auto and get out of the place. They call an auto)

Gandhi. Oh Bhai Chalego

Auto driver. Where you will go

Patel Plesea leave us near tank bund

Driver. I can not come . I am not going that side

Patel. Why? You can not refuse. I can report against you

Driver. Hee…hee. Are you new to this place? No one can do any thing to Hyderabad auto drivers. We are very strong. We can dictate terms.

Patel( Getting irked up and notes the number of the auto). I shall show what I can do

Driver. Heee ..Heee.. Do whatever you can do ( He goes away abusing Patel)

Gandhi. Shh.. What a guy? There is no discipline here. Look at that guy. How he was behaving?

( In the mean time a police constable passes that way swinging his lathi)

Patel. Oh Police Bhai Look. Plesae book a complaint about an auto. This is the number

( Constable looks queerly at Patel.)

Constable. Look. I am off duty now. Please go to Chaminar police station and give a written complaint to the SI. He will do something. I am telling some thing straight bhai. It is a waste of time. Nothing will happen. No out come would be there, You shall waste your time and money.

Gandhi. Is law and order so bad in the land? Have I given freedom for this day?( He picks up a brick from foot path and hammers his own head crying.. Why I have given freedom?. Why I have given freedom to these guys? ( on lookers collect there)

Patel. ( He picks up a brick and hammers his own head and cries) Why I ordered police action? Why I ordered police action? Better the guys remained under Razakars.

On looker. We are no way better either.

( In the mean time, some more onlookers gather and watch them. They try to console them. In the mean time bus comes to the place and the trio board the bus and the bus leaves the place towards Chadrayan gutta. The conductor asks Gandhi to purchase tickets )

Conductor. Sir where do you want to go?

Patel. Please give three tickets to tank bund

Conductor. Oh Bhai. This is not going to that place. Please get down from bus and catch another one.

( The trio get down and they are now at Falaknuma away from Charminar. They start walking on the road. They suddenly walk into two groups who are throwing stones at each other. There is a great chaos. Suddenly a police van with dozens of police men arrives and the police men stat beating the people indiscriminately. They are after Bapu, Nehru and Patel. One constable sees stick in Bapu’s hand and confronts him. )

Constable. Hey Old man. Why this stick ? He tries to hit Bapu

Patel ( Holds the lathi with hand) can’t you see he is so old? Why are you trying to hit him?We are just passing this way. We are not part of the crowd.

Constable. How dare you hold my lathi? I shall show you.

( In the meantime other police men arrive and arrest the trio and dump them in police van. There are other guys too with them. The van is driven to crime branch. At crime branch an Inspector interrogates them)

Inspector. You guys! What you had to do at that place ? More over this old man carries a weapon .That is a big stick.

Nehru. Look Inspector. We have nothing to do with that rioting. We got down from a wrong bus and by that time people were already fighting

Inspector. Should I believe? You guys are so old. Why do you involve in such places? Where do you stay in city?

Patel. No where. We have no place. All places are ours

Inspector. Behave. Give answer properly. This is Police crime headquarters.

Gandhi. Look Inspector. I am Gandhi, He is Nehru and that is Patel

Inspector. Heee..heee What a joke? How much money you guys make daily like this?

Gandhi ( Angrily). We are real. Better give respect.

( Inspector calls a constable and asks him to put the trio in lock up. Promptly they are locked up. After some time the police men go away and return to the table and they find the trio sitting at the benches. They are shocked)

Inspector. Who removed you guys from cell?

Gandhi. No one. We were never inside

Inspector ( Getting annoyed looks at constable) Did you not lock them up when I told you?

Constable. Sir I locked them. See sir, The key is still with me ( He shows the key)

( Inspector goes to lock up and checks lock and it is firmly locked. He is puzzled)

Inspector. How they came out? May be they are experts in opening locks.( looks at constable)Constable Search them for any key or metal piece

( Constable does not find any thing He again takes the trio to lock up and in front of Inspector puts them inside and locks them. He takes a deep sigh ad sits in a chair while Inspector goes away telling constable to be careful. Constable dozes in the chair and after some Patel comes out of the lock up as they have divine bodies and he goes to the Constable and wakes him up)

Patel Bhai. I want some water

Constable ( still dozing) Thee is a pot in corner. Go there and drink and Patel goes to drink water. ( Constable suddenly realizes that voice was familiar and looks at Patel near the pot)

Constable. This is the same man I put in lock up. How he is out? Strange.

( He slowly goes to Patel from behind and pounces on him to catch. But he falls flat on the earthern pot and it breaks. Whole water spreads on floor. Patel has divine body and can not be caught when not desired)

Patel. Hee…hee( He enters the cell and looks through bars)

( Constable gets up and goes to the cell and finds all inside. He is confused and thinks he had some illusion and again sits in the chair and dozes off. After some time Gandhi, Nehru and Patel come out of cell and walk out of the crime branch and Inspector is seen returning to duty. He does not notice them and he goes to cell and finds constable dozing. He slaps the constable and wakes him up )

Inspector. Where are these guys?

Constable. Sir I do not know. The cell is locked. See the lock.

( Inspector suddenly realizes that he saw the trio going away from crime branch and he runs out and sees the trio walking away at a long distance. He jumps into a jeep and drives after them. Further he goes farther they are seen walking. He gets puzzled. Suddenly he finds Patel sitting next to him)

Inspector. How come you are here ?

Patel. Where I shall be?

Inspector . In the cell. I saw you walking away too

Patel. True

( Inspector stops jeep and pounces on Patel sitting next to him. Instead of catching Patel he falls out of jeep with a great thud and breaks his foot)

Patel. Hee..hee.. Look Inspector We are real Gandhi, Nehru and Bapu. You are just unable to know us and ill treat people. So suffer.

( Patel vanishes and Joins Gandhi and the trio walk away singing Ramdhun)