INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN.103

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…103
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Bapu and Nehru are seen conversing in a room in heavens. The room is poorly furnished and lit too. A charkha and few glasses are kept on a rickety table.)

Gandhi. Jawaharlal. I learnt there is some deep trouble in India now a day. Let us go and see what is happening.

Nehru. Fine Bapu. Did I say any time No to you?

(They descend to Parliament Street. Parliament is in session. Lot of noise is heard. Choicest abuses are heard in loud voice. They try to enter the gate and are stopped by a sentry who points out the rifle at them.)

Nehru. My friend. We are Bapu and Nehru and came from heavens and want to attend the session. Rather see what is happening. Please take off your rifle barrel from our faces. Accidentally it may go off. As it is you do not have much training on weapons.

Sentry. No Sahib. Do you have a pass to attend the session?

Gandhi. My son. We do not have any such pass. Kindly go and tell the speaker or the PM that we have come. Don’t you recognize me, the Bapu, great Bapu, the father of nation? See this lathi and watch.

(The confused sentry goes in and after some time returns with Marshals along with speaker)

Speaker. You swindlers. Who are you? Sons of a bit… Do you think that we would believe that you are Bapu and Nehru? They died long time back. One was shot like a lame duck right in full view of public at Birla Mandir and other died by severe depression under remorse after Chinese war in 1962. Now, get lost or you shall be thrashed black and blue. I am speaker of this parliament. I speak less and do more in practice ( does fast jig shouting yeah..yeah…ippi..ippi..yeah).

(After listening to speaker and getting inspired, the Marshals move menacingly towards the pair and Gandhi and Nehru retreat steps. They run towards main road and are seen walking slowly when they confront PV Narsimha Rao. He is alone walking on pavement and there is none with him. He is rather tired and exhausted..PV sees Bapu and runs to him. He falls at the feet of Bapu and weeps uncontrollably. Gandhi lifts him up and consoles him. Nehru pats his back.

Nehru. PV What happened? Why are you alone? Where is your security squad? How about the Chamchas, bootlickers and stooges?

PV . Punditji, All is over. I am in neck deep troubles. I am fully now got stuck in court cases. All have deserted me. That old guy Sitaram Kesari got me thrown out from the altar. I am of no use to them. That old fox was planning to become the PM all these years some how.

Nehru. This is all your doing. Why did you allow him to be the treasurer for more than 16 years? One should not be allowed to stay in the same post for many years. ( sings 0

Leaders working in the same post for many years
Are sure to develop deep rooted interests
Dogs that watch the house for many years
Feel that they are at top of mountain Everest

None should be allowed to work for many long years
They should be kicked out at the earliest opportunity
The crooked would never become great sages
And would harm the nobles even if they are mighty

PV. True. I some how failed to cut down that fellow. I am feeling restless.
Till yesterday all these guys were around me licking my shoes and chewing my socks. See today.

Gandhi. That is the way of world.

Nehru. Do not worry. In politics all is fair. Did you leave the PM ship when it came to you? Didn’t you mange to stay around for years by all means? So face it.

PV. I am atleast happy that Kesari has not become PM after puling down Gowda.

Gandhi. Look PV. Who is this Gowda? I never heard about him.

PV. He was a PM from united front. That was an opportunistic conglamation of parties. They had sole aim of not allowing Bajpai to become PM. There is no other aim. The man appears simple but very cunning too and clever.. Kesri felt That PM ordered CBI enquiry against him. So he pulled the carpet. Gowda is famous for dozing off in parliament too.

Nehru. Poor guy. Even then he could not become the PM. ( sings)

The congress party in India is engulfed by congress grass
Where leaders plan others funerals
All these cynics are ruining the nation enemas
In army without seeing a war there are retiring generals.

Poor Gowda the humble lost at the centre
He also lost the state post being a poor guy
Dirty congress party politics stopped the rotor
As the carpet was pulled by Kesri who was sly.

Gandhi. Well said Jawaharlal. (Sings and does jig)

Indian congress that I lead to freedom
Has been lost in concrete jungles of India
Congress of today is some ones fiefdom
Where all run for news in the media

It is high time these men are given kicks
That they know values of democracy.
All these men need good bashing with sticks
That would make them forget hypocrisy


PV. Bapu. I gave stable government for 5 long years. In the name of united front, all funny sounding parties have ganged up. It is a shame to Indian democracy that a single party could not get majority.

Gandhi. It is al bad luck. But good for people like Yadavs. Otherwise who would vote them to power? I think 21 century would be century of Aya ram and Gaya ram.

Nehru. Only good thing is the elevation of Gujral as PM. He is a sensible one and best out of all. He is a misfit among these funny nuts. God save him.

Nehru. Hope so dear.

Gandhi. PV what are your plans now? Are you going to retire?

PV. No never. Look I shall come back with a bang All these are false cases. One by one all will be struck off. Just because some guy makes an entry in diary that money was paid to so and so, CBI has charged them laughs . hee..heee. How ridiculous!

Nehru. It is very simple common sense that these diaries can not stand in court. In that way any one can write anything in diaries about others. He may even write so and so guy committed murder. Will you hang him based on diary? Even a child would laugh it off..CBI should take legal opinion in such cases. How come they committed such blunders? It looks like free for all in India. No one knows what is to be done.

PV. That is the joke of this century.. haa..haa..haaa

Nehru. Next thing is to charge the investigating agency with defamation suits. That would be great guns. Those guys would never come out of court cases. I am sure some one must be planning such actions. May god please help them out.

Gandhi. What a sorry state in my India! I languished in jails to get what? Definitely not for these days. Eee…eee..eee.. Mera Bhaarat…... Mera Bhaarat ( Beats his chest)

(In distance a song is heard

Mukhda dekhle praani
Zaraa darpan mey
Ho…oh.. o
Papa hai kitna punya hai kitna
Dekh tere jeevan mey
Dekhle darpan mey
Mukhda dekh le prani……………. Kavi Pradeep

( Look at your face in a mirror
Oh the creature
Look for the sin
And Look for the good
That you have done
Know in your life
And look into a mirror
And see your face
That reflects all)

Gandhi weeps more after listening to the song and Nehru and PV try to console Gandhi. Slowly they move on the road when suddenly a siren is heard. A police van drives past announcing that the new PM would soon pass through the place and all people should clear the road immediately. Nehru and PV run away, but Gandhi being weak struggles and is on the middle of the road when the convoy arrives. The VVIP vehicles pass past and scores of police men land on Gandhi)

Inspector. You old fool. Joker of first order. Why are you here? Are you a terrorist? I shall show you what police in Delhi is.

Gandhi. Inspector. I am Gandhi, Bapu, Your Bapu, The father of nation.( sings and jig)

Look oh inspector
Am I looking like a crook
Please have some rethinking
And rascals hide in India at every nook


Inspector. Is it so. You bloody fellow! Whom you are fooling. Do you think I will be impressed by your poetry? Hey constable! Hold this guy tight. I shall show him what I am and who he is… Gana gaata hai. Badmaash ( rascal sings song)

(The Inspector kicks Gandhi in stomach and Gandhi swoons and vomits blood. He again kicks in the groin and Gandhi collapses. Police men laugh. Nehru and PV see the incident and run to Gandhi and the police seize them)

Inspector. So you are the accomplices of this joker. Take this.

(Inspector thrashes Nehru and PV escapes quickly and Nehru swoons and falls. The police men laugh and walk away, board vehicles and drive away. Gandhi and Nehru struggle and get up and start walking slowly limping)

Nehru. What a state of affairs in India that too in capital. British police was never so harsh. It looks in India police raj is there. Government has apparently has no control over them. Recently the police here severely beat up a civilian who by mistake entered the high security zone. Their behavior was worst than what happened at Jalian wallah bagh years ago. Ohfo what a change after I left! There is no respect to Gandhi, me and elderly men. We were surely wrong in getting independence.

( From the sky a voice is heard)

Voice. Hey !Jawaharlal. This Winston Churchill. I stated long time agi at the time of granting independence that India would be handed over to a bunch of rascals where a glass of water and piece of bread would be taxed. Hee..heee.. what I said has come true. Look at your fate today. Where do you stand? Was I not correct?

Nehru. Sir. You were hundred percent correct.

Churchill’s voice. See you. Better luck for you. You can not stay among these crooks. Better return fast.

Gandhi. Looks like that. In any system all, will not be bad. Some black sheep will always be there. Unfortunately we came across such types. More over, we were at fault. I could not cross over.

Nehru. Bapu. But it does not mean that they had to bash us up so badly. You are really great. In spite of all these hardships you are giving benefit of doubt to these men.

Gandhi. One must take things in right spirit. I have nothing against police. I forgave them already.

Nehru.Bapu. that’s why they call you Mahatma (great soul). I am only called a Pundit.
Hey Bapu. In AP there is a serious charge that Naxals are killed in the name of encounters. How sad? People say they are official murders.

Gandhi. Many people say many things. Truth will come out one day. Then they will pay for it. OK Jawaharlal. Let us go back fast . Or else some other police men may trouble us. Where is PV? Let him be happy some where. He has still time to follow us to heavens.

Nehru. Ok Bapu.. as you wish

( Both sing Ramdhun with hickups and slowly walk into distance)

CURTAIN FALLS