INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..98

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN……...98

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(In the center of a room Bapu is seen sitting in an old chair. He is also coughing occasionally A Charkha is kept in a corner. Some time he utters Ram..Ram.. Hare..Hare.. The door opens and Nehru enters)

Nehru. Bapu. Bapu Have you heard this/

Bapu. What is that / Why are you excited/ relax a bit.

Nehru. Bapu. I heard that in parliament in India in future there will not be any member. All will be ministers. That is the latest amendment to constitution being planned.

Gandhi. That is very good. It solves many problems. As it is they are fighting for ministerial berths. People are mad after power.

Nehru. Bapu. You are taking things light. Earlier you used to feel bad and some times sob also. Why this change?

Gandhi. Look Jawaharlal. When you can not solve a problem better endure it. I left india in 1948. Now what can I do?

Nehru.Bapu.Still we must find out what is happening now. Bapu.Do you kow that old man Narsimha rao has become the PM now.

Gandhi. I do remember him. He was a kid when I was there. I herad he is a intellectual. He knows many languages, He is also a law graduate. He translated into Hindi a big novel Veyi Padagalu meaning thousand hoods and more than 1000pages written by Kavi samrat Viswanatha Satyanarayana a Telugu writer. It is named Sahsraphan.

Nehru. In politics he was not known much then.

Gandhi. Some times it happens. His stars are good. He faithfully served your family eversince I left, I mean congress. Rajiv died in a blast engineered by LTTE and this helped him in the career. That turned fortunes for him. He was OK as foreign minister. He was silent and more or less non controversial.

Nehru. Many thought that this was a temporary affair and Sonia Gandhi would take over. But some how it did not work, PV became pm. He has cut all opponents to size. They do not know where to go.

( In the mean time an Andhra Brahmin walks in. He touches feet of Gandhi.)

Brahmin. Sir. You may not know me. I am the poet laureate of AP state. My name is Viswanath Satyanaraya titled kavi samrat.

Gandhi. Very nice to see you sir.What makes you to be here. We are no match to you in literary skills.

Satyanarayan. Sir. I wrote a great book called Veyi Padagalu many years ago and it was also translated into Hindi by Sri PV as Sahasraphan. It was 20 years ago. Suddenly some one got interest in the novel. I was told a TV serial is being made in Hindi, Why this sudden love for this old novel.

Nehru. It is any ones guess. There are always many sychophants every where. They are more on govt. Their work is to please the top brass some how. tHey will find ways and means for these activities. This is also one among them. Rao himself is not bad.

Satyanaraya. I am known to be forthright and straight forward. I suffered a lot. You know I was not awarded even a doctorate. For achievement in literature. However I do not bother.

Nehru. Sir. These doctorates from Universities have no meaning. Now a days all types of guys such as singers, dancers, Film stars, poets, journalists, politicians are being given. Many are of no use. . In future the way things are going on even dacoits, smugglers, thieves also can hope to get one. Why not? They have excelled in their field. They are also artists.

Gandhi. Oh. I am happy. No one has given me one after my death. I wsa rather worried. Patel told me that recently he was given Bharat Ratna 40 years after his death along with Subhas, I was scared some wise guy will give me too. Then where is my position? I will also be one among the ratnas. Eee…eeee…

Nehru. Plesae do not worry. Ambedkar turn is over. It is the turn of Babu jagjivan ram and Maulana azad. One guy from minority has to be given . Otherwise they will feel bad. In future some may even demand the award for Jinnah too. Hee..heee..haa..haa

Satyanarayana.I think I made myself clear. Thanks every one

( He leaves the hall after paying respects to Gandhi and Nehru)

Gandhi. Look Jawaharlal, What is the chance of PV again making as PM.

Nehru. Bapu. He is in boat without rudders. Unfortunately there are no proper leaders in Congress. Arjun singh, Pilot, Pawar, Tiwari, and many more want to become PM replacing Rao. All have been cut to size. They do not have following. At any time carpet can be pulled under the feet of Rao. But he is also clever and playing game carefully. He is the only hope for congress. All others would fight for the loaf.

Gandhi. I heard recently he expanded ministry.

Nehru. Yes. He had to please all sundry

Gandhi. Any how Rao is also very old and learnt tricks of the trade. But one can not expect too much from him. He I alos very old.

Nehru. During my time also people thought what would happen after me

Gandhi. Nothing happened. Rather it ran well..

Nehru. Bapu. This a bit too much. Eeee….eeeee…. I struggled for 16 years after independence

Gandhi. So what? You enjoyed power and comforts and prestige. You ensured that your family rules after you generation after generation. What else you want? The country has been enslaved by your dynasty after Mughals. This I never foresaw in Indian democracy.. Or else I would have ensured that no one would continue as PM, CM or MLA, MP for more than two terms. They develop vested interests.

(Bapu gets sentimental and gets up and sings doing jig)

The Indian democracy has been misused by one and all
Where the leaders made power as their personal property
New dynasties have sprung up that are high and tall
And the roots of nation have been made rickety

All are busy in projecting their sons
While few bring up their clever daughters
None is bothered for the game of reason
While common man is scared and is in jitters

I should have fore seen the things to come
Limited the posts for mere two terms
Dynastic rules are imposed by some goons
And leaders have ruined the state as dirty worms

It I high time people are taught lessons
That the state is not some ones personal property
People should wake up from drinking sessions
And throw out the leaders who made the nation dirty.

Oh Mother give these fools some wisdom
And they are running after instant stardom.
Some of them ruined nation brick by brick
As people have failed to deliver them a mighty kick
Nehru. Bapu. Please relax. You can not change the world. We have to watch and see the tamasha.

Gandhi. That is true. I am tired. It is not that easy to do jig. Oh fo. It is time I go to bed. I have to drink goats’ milk also .OK Bhai. See you tomorrow. Come soon.

Nehru. Ok..Bapu. Good night.

(Nehru leaves the room adjusting his cap)


CURTAIN FALLS