INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…
SCENE LXI
Prof Dr Colonel K Prabhakar Rao ( Retired)

(Gandhi and Nehru and Patel are seen watching a TV on a road side Hotel which has kept a large size TV on the exit so that people could watch. The TV is displaying news about disappearing of the Andhra Pradesh CM Mr. Rajsekhar Reddy )

Gandhi. What is happening Patel?

Patel. It appears the CM Mr. Reddy went missing with his chopper

Gandhi. So sad!. But how can it happen?

Patel. It seems already 18 hours are over after his departure from Begum pet and nothing is known.

Nehru. It is strange indeed. Was it a good chopper that can fly? Hope all is well.

Patel. Some doubts are being expressed about registration of the chopper and validity period.

Gandhi. Any how we have to wait and see.

Patel. It was told that CM left in highly inclement weather and I do not know what was the urgency to leave in such bad weather. I see some goofing up of security.

Gandhi. It is Gods wish. He is duty bound too. I was told he is highly committed to villagers… like me ( Gets sentimental and sings Ramdhun)

Nehru. I see.. Relax Bapu, All are watching us. They would think we are to be some comic figures.

( In the mean time the TV flashes the news reporters talking to one another )
They are Basha and Asha )

Basha.. Asha. This is Basha here. You are at Atmakoor now. Tell me some thing about the situation there.

Asha. Good morning Basha.( In the mean time she whirls her bobbed hair stylishly. Her painted lips flutter). All looks dull. Many leaders are camping here. They are all putting on white dress and sporting costly cell phones and gold chains to the wrists.. Each and every leader has plenty of chamchas with him. They are all talking over their phones with whom I do not know. No one appears to be less than the Home minister who is not seen much.

Basha. Thank you Asha. Now can you throw some light on the situation there and how people are behaving.

Asha. Hello Basha. All are very worried atleast outwardly. Many may be real too. All are excited and appear sad also. There are many uniformed men all around with weapons as if going for a war. It is learnt that some villagers heard big sound near Nalla vagu. But it appears no one is paying attention to it. These commentators repeatedly state that the chopper surly would have landed safely some where and that CM may be even walking.

Basha. Asha. The commentators are resorting to jugglery of words than being precise. Every one is posing as he is the greatest expert. Most of these guys have not steppe d out of Hyderabad.

Asha. Thank you Basha . Now let us see what the minister has to tell.

Patel. Look Bapu. I do not see any where Home minister making any announcement. She is not being focused much. She was sitting next to an old senior minister. Camera never focused on her. She was shown once and camera was hastily moved on to the old guy.

Nehru. Yeah. I also noticed.

Gandhi. It has to be Home minister in fact who should brief about the latest situation.

Patel. Bapu. It is already more than 18 hours since the chopper went missing. Seeing the terrain, I doubt it could have landed safely in hills.

Nehru. I do not know much about this area. But what a I see from TV is that the area is very bad and very thick jungles and mountains are there. Helicopter has little chance.

Gandhi. I see they are praying mostly that CM should be safe.

Patel. Naturally it has to be.

( The TV anchors are again back to the game)

Basha.. Asha. Hello . Welcome . Any news about the Chopper that is being searched by the air force pilots?

Asha. Just now Wing commander Bharathi of Hair force has reported that he has located the chopper on a hill 40 nautical miles from Karnool

Bash. Correction please. It is not hair force. Asha , It is air force although they also have hair however neatly crop cut. You know services do not allow long hair.

Asha, Basha Why so?

Basha. I think with less hair, radiation from brain is better and there is some uniformity of heads. Indian army atleast allows some littele hair. In US army very little hair is kept. It is hardly 2 mm long.

Asha. But we also have Sikhs in army

Basha. That is an exception. They have to wear Turbine

Asha. Correction please. It is Turban and not turbine

Basha. Oh.. No.. I am sorry

Asha. Never mind Basha. Thank you for correcting me. I also corrected you one. Game is settled. Wing commander Bharathi said that he saw the chopper on a hill and he can not say any thing about any survivors in it. They will take some more time for it

Basha. So he saw the chopper. He did not say it crashed. So CM could have walked away from the chopper after landing

Asha . Hope so. Now let us go to commentators

( Gandhi looks at Patel confused )


Gandhi. What they are trying to say? The officer clearly stated he can not say any thing about survivors. He used the word survivors. That means the chopper must have crashed. It is as simple as it. These commentators are only using jugglery of words to fool people.

Patel. Bapu. If chopper is missing for so many hours it means some thing is wrong. All our past experiences confirm this. If the chopper lands, they can always communicate.

Nehru. What can they say? Even if they are sure that some thing inevitable has happened they can not say. Our press briefing is not like USA or UK who are very prompt in issuing news. Do you know when President Kennedy was shot in Dallas,Texas in America it was immediately aired in BBC and VOA. His death was confirmed in minutes. These reporters are doing more gimmicks that telling the truths.

Bapu. We can not find fault with them. They are living on hopes after hopes. I wish Reddy survives this ordeal

Patel. Me too feel so

( again the TV crew are back at their tricks)

Basha. Hoi , Asha. What is the latest situation?

Asha. It is now confirmed that the chopper has crashed and got burnt. Home ministry declared

Basha. How they are declaring while we are not declaring? Are we not in the same country?

Asha. I do not know. ( She whirls are her bobbed hair again stylishly)

Basha. Now I started having doubts about safety of the crew and CM. May god bless him

Asha. It appears we may have to face some unpleasant news. Army commandoes are reaching the site. Even doctors are with them who went in choppers and army choppers at last landed at a close point

Basha. Thank god. Theya re dare devils.

Asha. True. Basha… all is over. It is now confirmed that there are five charred bodies in the crashed chopper wreck.

Basha. Great scots.All is over

Asha. So sad ( she again whirls her bobbed hair)

Gandhi. Oh No. so sad. I am very unhappy at this accident

Patel. Bapu. Take it easy. All great guys go to people early to Gaod. How about subhas Chadra. Poor guy. Vanished after WW II

Nehru. What does that mean? Does it mean that Bapu is not great because he lived for 79 years?

Patel. I did not say that. Kennedy died early. Even I died early. Lincoln died early.

Gandhi. Look Jawaharlal. Relax. He did not mean any thing. God takes away those whom he loves more.

Nehru. So God never loved me and you

Gandhi. Could be. I was shot dead. You died of sorrow after Chinese defeat. Your daughter was also shot dead. Your grand son also was assassinated when he was young. Probabaly god loved them more

Nehru. Sobs.. eee…eee..

Patel. Control yourself Jawaharlal. You are a great leader, PM of India, that too much loved one.

Nehru. Hope you are not circastic?

Patel. Why should I be? You are there what has to be.

Nehru. Oh. So confusing indeed ( Tries to pull hair on his head. But it is bald)

Gandhi. Relax guys . Let us party for the departed soul

( In the mean time TV displays scroll .. Jagan CM's son has to take over if dreams of late CM are to be realized… another scroll says. Jagan is the best person at this moment. He is young too… Yet another scroll reveals… Many MsLA and MsP support Jagan)

Patel. Bapu. Have you seen? Poor Reddy’s body is not yet recovered. The bootlickers are already at the job

Gandhi ( Holds head) Oh . No. Have I given them freedom for such tricks. So the family succession has become a congress culture. People follow their kings.

Patel. As you sow so you reap

Nehru.I can understand what Patel said. Where was the hurry for all this shit now? Poor Reddy is not even cremated. The old minister is however being highlighted all over being the senior most guy. That is fine for time being.

Patel. Why this horse trading now? If his son has to become CM he can become at a later date.I remember exactly same thing happened when Indira Gandhi died and Rajiv was made PM.

Nehru. Why all that now. Is it necessary

Patel. Very much Mr Nehru. This is where dynastic succession takes place and the guys who propose and manage the show are thrown some titbits. That is the story as it goes.

Gandhi. Relax guys. Why bother for them? Any how we are dead. We have to watch the tamasha and enjoy. Let us go

( The trio walks away singing Ramdhun while people around look queerly at them)