INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN.133

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…133
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(It is the border area of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh states in India and it a wilderness of dry land rocky plains with ups and downs. Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen roaming there. They are dressed as usual.)

Gandhi. Look Patel. This land appears deserted. I have not seen a human being around. What can be the reason?

Patel. Bapu. This is a dry land. These areas once formed territories of great Vijayanagar Empire. Now they are called Royala seema meaning the lands of Royas.

Gandhi . I learnt that former AP CM belonged to this area.

Patel. True.

(They walk for some time and over a small high ground Patel shrieks loudly)

Patel. . Bapu and Jawaharlal please come fast.

Bapu. We are coming soon. Look Jawaharlal. You just run there. I will take some time as I am old and weak.

Nehru. Never mind Bapu. We go together. I can not leave you alone. You may fall down. The area is full of stones.

Gandhi. How nice of you Jawaharlal. You are taking so much care about me even now.

Nehru . Why not Bapu? You made me PM of India after partition. Patel was a big contender. But you sidelined him.

Gandhi. I know.

Nehru. Bapu. Don’t you think Patel still feels bad about it?

Gandhi. I am not sure. He may be sulking in heart. Once or twice sarcastically he vent out his feelings.

Nehru. Any how all is over. My name has gone down the history as a great PM of great achievements. (They do not realize that Patel was behind them and listening too)

Patel. ( Claps) Very good Bapu and Jawaharlal. You came. You did not notice me when you came to this place. Bapu. I heard your conversation.

Nehru. What was that?

Patel. That Bapu made you as PM and that I was sulking.

Nehru. You heard wrongly.

Patel. Does not matter. I am much hardened like steel. I am above these feelings and silly things.

Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Patel appears to be annoyed.

Patel. Why should I? I am least bothered. I am happy that there is no scandal against me or allegation of mismanagement of national affairs particularly regarding Defense matters.

Gandhi. Patel. You must forget and look into future.

Nehru. Bapu. Patel always reminds me about Chinese war and Kashmir problem ( Cries) eee…eeee.. Bapu I was a victim of cicumstances..eeee…eeee..aaa….aaa…oh.ohh..waa..waa

Patel. It is OK. Please do not cry like a child. You were PM of India. PMs do not weep.


Gandhi. Forget the past now. Patel. Why did you shout loudly and asked us to come fast?

Patel. Have you seen the area?

( Gandhi and Nehru wipe their eyes and take a careful look around)

Gandhi. Ohfo . What a sight! Entire Land is a big crater. I think it is 1000 times of Arizona crater.

Nehru. Patel. I am sure this was formed by a big terrestrial object some time ago that crashed here.

Patel ( Claps) hear . Hear.. What a theory!I am happy you did not relate to big bang theory. I am sure you must be given Nobel prize.

Gandhi. What is there to mock at him?

Patel. Bapu. Do you know this area had great iron deposits?

Gandhi. I am not aware of it.

Patel. Plesae know now. Next to AP state is Karnataka. There are two Gali brothers who are politically very influential. I think they are members of the assembly. There are great allegations that these brothers illegally mined iron ore from these lands and made money.

Gandhi. Could they dig up entire land, so huge, so vast

Patel. . Bapu. They are capable of digging entire Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka many Kilo meters deep. If they are allowed they will dig entire India and this countrywould be submerged in ocean.

Gandhi. The guys must be very enterprising.

Patel. There is another guy in the field. He is Jagan. He is also accused of similar job.

Gandhi Oh Jagan , the son of late YSR

Patel. Yeah. The same guy who wanted to become the CM of AP state immediately after his father’s sudden death. His stooges were doing signature campaign to make him CM even before YSR was laid to rest.

Gandhi. Yeah. I know this. I read in papers. How bad it is? Patel Politics is a very dirty game. Son does not care for father and vice versa. I am happy I and you died early. ( sings)

We are the happiest guys to die
Devoid of any remorse
There are plenty of jokers around
Who go around crying hoarse

They cry that they are not made the CM
Always indulge in some tricks this and that way
I feel ashamed to be in this state
Better I sleep after eating some hay


Nehru. I was unlucky in that aspect. I slogged till 1964 before I died. Only I know what all difficulties I faced. ( Cries) eee…eee….aaa..aaaa….waa..waa

Patel. Jawaharlal. But you were very ambitious too. You aimed at Nobel Prize and that was never given to you. It only goes to the deserving.

Nehru. Look Bapu. Patel is again at the old game.

Gandhi. Patel. Please leave him.

Patel. Bapu. These Gali brothers and Jagan are now accused of doing great harm to the natural assets in AP state. Damage has been done already. Bapu. The entire official machinery is corrupt and without their connivance these guys can not do anything.

Gandhi. That means you say that govt servants are to be blamed.

Patel True Bapu. Those too are higher ups. Low level officials can not do such damage. They have already looted with both hands. The funniest part is that no action is being envisaged. They are influential and can buy people.

Gandhi. Can we do hunger strike till death to force the issue?

Patel. I doubt it will have any effect. You already lost your effect on Indians. They only use your name of Gandhi. In front of Assembly they erected your black statue that is highly awkward to look at. Now and then the MLAs assemble there and do some tamasha of protests. Immediately after they gulp Tiffin like Idly, Wada, Dosa to their belly full and yawn loudly. Some eat pan also and then bray. I wish your statue is removed from there forthwith. Atleast it will salvage some of the remaining grace of you.

Gandhi. Then do it fast

Patel. I shall do that soon. Bapu. If this entire area gets filled with water it may look like a man made mini ocean like black sea or Caspian sea or dead sea that are in Europe. It may become a tourist attraction.

Bapu. True. We must give this proposal to the government of AP.

Patel Govt is also thinking of making this a big waste disposal place. It will suffice for next thousand years.This also could become one of the woders of the world. i.e a man made ocean.

Gandhi. Chee…cheee. What a silly plan.

Patel. Bapu. In govt there many civil servants whose brains are full of ideas. They keep visiting foreign countries often to become wise and try to implement some cranky thoughts here.

Gandhi.. Great indeed. Heee..heeee ( sings and does jig)

This land is full of nuts
With their brains full of silly thoughts
They take people for a camel ride
While the state suffers eternal draught.

( In the mean time a group of people arrive there in two jeeps. They are armed with guns. They get down from the jeeps and approach the trio.they appear to be watch and ward guys and the leader is Chengappa and otherfour are Rajiah, Chengiah, Kotappa, Narsanna. Chengappa is the leader)

Chengappa. Hey. Who are you guys here This is a prohibited area. Yu are not supposed to be here

Gandhi. Why prohibited? There is no board. This is free India

Rajiah You appear to be a rogue. How dare you reply?

Patel. Look Mr. Behave yourself. Are we rogues? I think you are the rogue who has dug up this area illegally.

Rajiah. Am I looking like joker to you?

Nehru. Sure. You are no doubt.

Patel That is good Jawahar. Thanks for support.

Nehru. That is OK. When we confront others we are one.

Pate. Thanks.

Chengappa. Look. I am the warden here. You have to go from here

Gandhi. What will you do. We will not go.You guys look like criminal gang employed by the mine diggers and looters rather.

Chengappa. I shall show you who we are

Gandhi. You can not do anything to us.

Chengappa. You skeletons watch out. ( He aims his gun at Gandhi)

( Suddenly Gandhi, Nehru and Patel turn into skeletons and the ruffians are aghast and are scared. They fire at them in panic and nothing happens. Bullets fly past. One bullet recotiates against a rock and hits chengappa in the thigh.Hescreams anddropsplumb and faints.Others just run away dropping their guns.)

Patel. Haa.. Haa.. Bhag gaye kutte.. Badmaash log. Bada ayya pehalwan banke ( Ran away dogs. Rogues they are. Came and posing as wrestlers.)

Gandhi. We should not have left those guys so easily and cheaply

(In the mean time Chengappa gains senses andlooks at Gandhi. Gandhi is as usual and no more a skeleton )

Chengappa. Oh Bhai. Plesae forgive me. I did not know you are so powerful and bhoots too. Plesae do not kill me. I have children. ( He tries to get up but fails. His thigh bone is broken, He cries. Eeee…eeee)

Patel. This is the punishment for you guys for misbehaving with us. Keep struggling. Any how after some time your friends will send some rescue team for you. Till then keep lying.

Chengappa.. aa…aaa…. Eee

Nehru. Relax. Bapu shall we go. It is getting late

( Suddenly they turn into skeletons and do violent break dance infront of Chengapa who loses eyes in great fear. They shout loudly hua.hua… haa.. haa.. heee.. heee.. wow.woww and disapera suddenly while Chengappa again faints)


CURTAIN FALLS