INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN....LXXXXIX

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…LXXXIX

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen at a roadside tea stall near Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. The business is brisk and polythene cups are thrown everywhere. Some stray dogs are seen licking the empty cups.Gandhi gets irked up at the sight. But he is helpless.)

Gandhi. Look Patel. What type of people are these characters? They drink tea in these plastic cups and throw them on the street. They are making the area very dirty.They areshitin fact

Patel. Bapu. Say in low tone. This is India. You gave them freedom 60 years ago to do whatever they like. Freedom means free for all as per India’s definition.

Gandhi. I am much upset at things. Even a dog cleans the area before it sleeps. Even after passing stools it would rub its ass against ground cleans itself. These guys are worst than them.

Patel. Bapu. Say slowly. Even walls have ears

Gandhi. I am not scared. Truth has to be told. By the by what is happening in this building? Why should I be scared? I fought the English men with bare chest ( sings doing jig)

I am the Gandhi with bare chest
And I never wear any vest
English men could not do any thing to me
I shall reform these guys whatever it might be

Patel. Hear ..hear. That is good Bapu.

( In the mean time loud shouts are heard. People are seen shouting Jai Telangana..Jai Jai Telangana… Jo hame takrayega who mitti me miljayega…Hoo……hooo)

Gandhi. What is the commotion in the building?

Nehru. Last night, central government has declared that it has constituted a committee to study the situation in Andhra Pradesh

Gandhi. Does it say that the committee is to study how to bifurcate AP state?

Patel. No . It does not say anything.

Gandhi. Then what does it say?

Patel. It states that the committee would speak to all sections of people in the state and record their findings

Gandhi. All sections means what?

Patel They will speak to Andhrites, Telanganites, Seemites, Muslims, Old city wallahs, Road side hawkers, Shop owners, Taxiwallahs, Autowallahs, Students, Teachers, Professors.. ohfo to all

Gandhi. How about barbers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, Bullock cart drivers, mungphylly street vendors. Chikki sellers, Biscuitwalahs, Knife grinders, vegetable vendors, Fruit vendors, beggars ,pimps and prostitutes?

Nehru. How about Hizras? They are also part of society.

( In the mean time some Hizras arrive from somewhere and go near Bapu . They clap and make gestures at them)

Hizra Sakina. Haye. Mere.. Marjawa… Haye. Aawona;; aah..

Bapu. Chee…cheee. What is this? Patel Save me from these men or women . What should I call?

Patel. Bapu. They are Indians. You gave freedom to them too. They are part of society. Kindly bear with them. Some day one of them may become PM too.

Gandhi. Ohfo.. Why not? All are equal before constitution.

Hijra Sakina. Haye.. Kya Baat Hai… Kahaa jayega mujhe chodkar.. Tadapraheen hun mai… Mere Saajan.. aaahh… Ab Rahna Jayega.. Dekho kaisa mera dil dhak dhak kar raha hai.. Haye…

Gandhi. Jawahar;al Mujhe Bachalo

Nehru. Bapu. What can I do? They are after you and are much impressed too. ( looking at Hijras) look Sakina. Mere Amma. Leave this old man. Yeh Kuch kamahka naheen. Find some one else.

Sakina. Ye baat hai. What is the use of milking a drycow? How about you?

Nehru. Oh No. Not me. My hoo Buddha.

( The Hijras go away clapping, not before hugging Gandhi and making gestures at Nehru)

Patel. Bapu. We side tracked. The committee guys have to speak to rowdy sheeters, pehilwans, dadas, thugs on bail, those in jails too. They are part of society. In fact they are important. They play great part in elections Do you know Bihari leader lalu yadav recently declared that he would give ticket to any one who goes to jail?

Gandhi. I know that.

Nehru. Bapu. The statement does not list out the categories with whom they will interact.

Gandhi. This is very crude way of approaching the problem.

Pate. Hee…heee. The committee may be given time for 6 to 12 months

Gandhi. That means they will have nice time at government cost for so many months.

Patel. He..heee… Haaa.

Gandhi.. haaa..haaaaaa. Good joke on people. The committee will spend crores of public money and probably will come out blank.

Patel. Bapu. Listen. This is a crude joke on people of Telangana. The people have been fooled. ( sings and does jig)

Poor people of Telangana are taken for a ugly camel ride
The leaders in center proved they have very thick hide
People have been fooled to the core
The wounds in their hearts have become very sore

The sacrifices of students are down the dirty Musi river waters that flow
Sparkles in the Telanganites will probably never glow
The committee would soon fool these guys
And the promises at center are surely lies

( People listening to Patel also do jig and clap loudly. In the mean time some people rush out of the building followed by few men who are seen to be furious. The police personnel present at the site suddenly become active and reach the crowd. They try to reduce the gathering)

Inspector. Come on guys. Move out from this place. This is getting crowdy.

Patel. We are not doing any thing. We are just listening and watching things.

Inspector. No arguments. We are final guys. All should listen to us.

Patel. Hee…heee

Inspector. What is there to laugh?

Patel. There is nothing.

IOnspector. Am I looking like a buffoon?

Patel. I did not say that.

Inspector. Then why you are laughing? Better behave. You are speaking to Andhra Police.

Patel. So you are not Andhra Pradesh Police.

Inspector. ( scratches head and appears confused)

Patel. Oh Bhai. Jara thanda dimakh ka istemal karo ( Oh brother please use your cool head). You guys should not become tools in the hands of these politicians and crooks. In fact you guys should discipline those guys who chased some people from the building, not we sipping tea at tea stall.

( Inspector scratches his head removing his cap)

Inspector. I think what you said is true.

Patel. I always tell truth.

Inspector. In that case I shall show what I am to these guys.

( Inspector orders police men to catch hold of the guys who came chasing some from the building. Soon such guys are rounded up)

Inspector. Who are you? Why are you chasing some people?

( There are some leaders in the guys who were caught by police)

Leader Enkanna . I am Enkanna yadav , of dongala puram constituency Why you have detained me? Don’t you know me? How dare?

Inspector. I know only law. I do not recognize you. Not required too. Why are you involved in violence and unruly behavior?

( The leader gets shock of his life)

Leader Enkanna. Are you speaking through your hat? Don’t you want to serve police force? I shall see.

Inspector. What you shall see. See now. I am in front of you. Bewakoof kainka. Boltha hai Dekhloonga. Kya Dekhlega. Mera sar.. Uloo kainka

( the leader gets upset . but he is helpless and the police constables push him into a van along with some other guys. They are taken away soon)

Gandhi. Patel. This inspector was much influenced by your talk. Appears to be a good guy.

Patel. But Bapu. Such guys can not last long. Son he will be shown the gate by the police senior officers.

Gandhi. Over my dead body. I shall fight for him.

Patel. How?

Gandhi. Patel. By the by what was the problem in the building?

Patel. Bapu. Inside the building there was a discussion over the committee and its purpose. All the rebel leaders were there. The hard core guys rejected the committee and asked all the leaders to resign in protest

Gandhi. Now I understand . Many guys do not want to resign. It is hard earned seat. They spent crores of rupees to win and not yet made money through various grants. If they resign they shall loose every thing.

Patel. If the leaders from opposition parties resign what will happen/ Nothing will happen to the state government. They want congress leaders from Telangana to resign.

Nehru. That they will never do except one or two.

Patel. They know well that if they resign they will never get party ticket next time.

Nehru. Hee..heee. A bunch of selfish men masquerading as patriots.

Patel. Jawaharal. Finally you came with truth.

Nehru Look . I always speak truth

Patel. Thanks

Gandhi. Well done. Then what happened

Patel. When the ruling party leaders from Telangana refused to resign they were kicked out of the building by the hard core guys.

Gandhi. Now I understand. Well done guys. The ruling guys want to take credit without sacrificing for Telangana. They deserve such action.

Patel. Hee.. heee ( sings and does fast jig)

These ruling guys deserved such fate
Such selfish guys I always hate
They should be shown the door soon
While Telangana emerges out of moon

(The on lookers clap loudly and appreciate the song and congratulate Patel)

Gandhi. Look Patel. It is time we leave this place. Soon some police force would come and do lathi charge or even firing. Better we leave. Soon police guys may use machine guns or rocket launchers on public. I am afraid one day they will enact Jallianwallah Bagh in Osmania university campus.

Nehru. True Who could be Michael Odayer, and General Dyer? Bapu. Let us go.

Patel. True, You shall know soon. First let us run away from here

(The trio sing Ramdhun and rapidly walk away from the scene)



CURTAIN FALLS