INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN......128

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN….128

Dr K Prabhakar Rao



(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen walking on the Tank Bund in Hyderabad. They are keenly seeing the various statues erected on the Tank bund one after the other. They finally stop at the statue of a King who is dressed in South Indian traditional style)

Gandhi. (Looking at the statue) He appears imposing. Who is he Patel? I can not see inscription on the plaque at the pedestal.

Patel. Bapu. Mere Bapu. He is Krishnadeva Raya the great emperor of Vijaynagar Empire that ruled south India for nearly 300 years. He has a title Sahiti Samaraangana sarwabhowma. Meaning the greatest achiever in literature and wars.

Gandhi. I see. I heard about him and also read his life history.

Patel. Were you not impressed by him Bapu?

Gandhi. I was surely. Jawaharlal. You wrote historical works. What you have to say?

Nehru. What can I say? What you say is correct. He was great emperor.

Patel. I learnt that Andhra Pradesh Government is celebrating 500 years of his coronation in a big way.

Gandhi. That is really good. But why these nuts have not celebrated similar events for Ashoka the great?

Patel. In that case Muslims will ask for celebrating for Jalaluddin Akbar the great. Some cranks may even ask for Aurangzeb, Shah jehan and Jehangir, Baber, Shersha, Humayun, Tughlaq, Razia begum, Firoz Tughlaq, Bahlool Lodi, Sirazuddowla, Mohammed shah Rangeela, Zahandar Shah, Farookh siyar, Akbar II, Allauddin Khilji, Tippu sultan, Hyder Ali, Bahadur shah Zafar,Kutubuddin Aibek, Malik kafur, Humayun Shah of Gulbarga, Shah alam, Mohammed Ghaznavi, Mohammed Ghori too.. there is no end to this list…heee..heee..haa..haaa

Nehru. What is wrong is in that?

Patel. Please stop it. Enough of false and foolish secularism. Hee..hee

( The climate suddenly gets cold and sky gets dark. Street lights fail to glow. The entire area becomes dim.)

Gandhi. Look Patel, Things are turning bad. The climate is not friendly. ( sings)

Look the sky is dark and dull
It is like a rusty ship hull
The climate is greatly scary
I am feeling highly tense and weary

( In the mean time a great flash appears in the sky and the statue gets illuminated. As the trio look at the statue, it gets into life. Krishnadeva Raya adjusts his turban and yawns loudly. He then looks at the trio and signals them to get close. The shit scared trio go to the statue and look at Raya)

Raya. Who are you guys here and what are you doing at this odd hour?

Gandhi. I am Gandhi, Father of this nation. These guys are my friends. Who are you sir talking to us?

Raya. I am Sri Krishna Deva raya, the mighty emperor of Vijaynagar.

Gandhi. We are aware of your greatness sir. But you were statue on this pedestal.

Raya. True. I learnt that the AP government is celebrating my coronation after passage of 500 years as great event. But these nuts have ignored my statue Look at me. Am I looking like an emperor. See my dress. It is torn everywhere. Plaster has come out at many places. The statue is discolored. My sword appears to be a kitchen knife. I do not know which fool has designed this knife. I feel distressed holding this cockeyed knife.

Patel. What can we say about this? But you surely do not look like an emperor in this dress and state.

Gandhi. The state government has invited President Pratibha Patil to take part in the celebrations at Ravindra Bharathi.

Raya. I know that. I also know that she was presented with a large garland( Gajamala) which is craze in south India. Poor lady will collapse if she takes up the weight of the garland. So Rosiah and another flunky will hold the garland on each side and the president poses for the snap.

Patel. Hee..heee..hee, well said sir. Oh the mighty king.

Raya. I am impressed by your salutations. (He twists his moustache holding his sword)

Patel. Thank you sir. Oh ,the mighty one

Raya. Even my statue in Ravindra Bharathi is not fit for the occasion. I am depicted in full regal attire writing (scribbling) on some palm leaves in a sitting posture. The foolish sculptor should know that one never sits down to write poetry in such dress. One has to be relaxed and dress should be fit for such solemn occasion. Do you expect a warrior to enter a nuptial room after marriage in full armor, dress and helmet? It is ridiculous.

Patel. Hee..heee.hooo…hooo. Sir you are witty really.

Raya. That I am. I am a multi talented one.

Patel. We know that.

Raya. I am only feeling sorry for the people who approved the statue. The tragedy is that they are celebrating and glorifying me there while on Tank bund my statue is neglected. It has not been repaired, lit up and illuminated. The guys are real nuts here.

Patel. That they are.

Nehru. Patel. Why speak low of ourselves?

Patel. What is wrong in accepting the facts? This is an insult to the great Raya.

Raya. If similar thing happened when I was alive I would have skinned the concerned alive.

Patel. We know that. You were very moody and had strong feelings.

Raya. Thanks. But I am sure once this tamasha is over, the statue in Ravindra Bharathi will be dumped around and some one would steal the pen from my hand too.

Gandhi.. Haa..haaa. Well said Rayaji.

Ray. What is this new word?

Patel. The letters ji are added to give respect after the names.

Raya. Should I address you as Patelji, Nehruji and Gandhiji?

Gandhi. Not required sir. We are too small people.

Raya. You are too modest. You are known as Father of India.

Gandhi. The people have made me. I never wanted it.

Raya. India was already there even during my time. It was much bigger including Gandhara, West Punjab, Full Bengal and many more areas.

Patel. But after Partition of this sub continent in 1947 a new India which is truncated that lost its west and east limbs was formed and this credit must go to us for achieving it. Gandhi led the freedom struggle and achieved this truncated India which is no more the former India. So Gandhi became father of new India.He is the father of truncated nation. That is the story.

Raya. Oh , I see . Infact I was much confused. It is a tragedy that the nation has been dismembered like this while people like me fought tooth and nail to preserve the country. Are you not feeling sorry for partitioning India and still glorify yourselves as great leaders.

Gandhi. We never called ourselves as great leaders. People call us so.

Raya. It is OK. Changes do occur in history. I am sorry if I have heart you guys.

Gandhi. Please do not mind sir. We are used to this. You know, Godse Shot me in cold blood after partition in 1948. I did not live to see India’s progress.

Raya. You are lucky. You escaped the agony of seeing the downfall of rulers and society in the country.

Patel. Sir. You are well informed about the country.

Raya. I stand as statue on this pedestal throughout the day and night and see what goes on. It is better I do not describe what goes on this tank bund near the statues after darkness falls every day. This is a place for boozers, prostitutes, cheats, crooks, land grabbers, kidnappers, pimps and shady men, I know everything that goes on around.

Gandhi. Sir. Please stop telling all these things to us. We get highly upset.

Raya. If I was alive, I would have hanged all the corrupt guys, terrorists, shady men, to all these lamp posts around at every statue without any trial. Or they would have been trampled to death under elephant legs. You know we had scores of elephants.

Patel. Now every one is happy that you are not alive.

Raya. But the day would come soon. Plesae wait. All bad things have to stop one day.

(Suddenly the Statue gets stiff and silent. Gandhi rubs his eyes and stares at the statue)

Gandhi. Patel, Jawaharlal. Let us go. It is already dark.

Patel. OK Bapu.

Nehru. I am getting scared here. Let us go.

( The trio walks away without looking back )


CURTAIN FALLS