INTO THEPAST WITH PAIN..134

INTO THEPAST WITH PAIN.. 134
Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(In a park in heavens some persons are seen chatting. It is the park meant for dignitaries and they are all well dressed. They are Chatrapathi Shivaji, Sambhaji Raje, Subhas Chandra Bose ( In full INA uniform), Sri Krishna deva raya , Rana Pratap and Velu Thambi. Shivaji Maharaj, Sambhaji Raje Maharaj, Rana Pratap and Krishna raya are on throne like seats while others are also sitting on magnificent chairs. Many are standing around with folded hands)

Pratap. Friends. I am happy to meet all of you here. We belong to different eras. But all of us are here together.

Subhas.Yes your highness Maharana Pratap. In fact I am very thrilled to be with you. As a matter of fact I belong to the modern era and much junior to you.

Shivaji Maharaj. Look Mr. Netaji. We know your achievements. Here no one is less and no one is very great. We all have done our duties to the mother land.

Subhas. Thank you your highness for your kind words. I am obliged sir.

Shivaji. I learnt that our mother land is in great trouble these days. Sambhaji raje told me that some elements are trying to divide the nation again.

Rana Pratap. True dear friend Chatrapathiji. The sad part is that the country was divided in 1947.

Shivaji. It was done after I left the world and after nearly 250 years. If I was there ,I would have skinned the people who were responsible for such thing, Jai Bhavani.( Shivaji in tempo partly draws his sword Bhavani from scabbard and pushes it back with strong click.

Pratap. How sad! Have we struggled our lives to see our land in this shape? Shame to the people who brought the nation to this state.

Subhas. Your highness. In fact I struggled in the great World War II to get India freedom by armed struggle. But luck did not favor me. Japanese surrendered after Atom bambs were dropped on their country by USA. My dreams were shattered. I had still hopes and plans.

Pratap. At times it happens. You must be knowing the battle at Haldi Ghat with Akbars forces. It was a very serious fight and I almost killed Prince Salim who later became Emperor Jahangir.

Subhas. If you were successful history of India probably would have been different.


I know it sir. Some of the Rajput Chieftains were siding with Akbar and were in their service. They sold themselves like Man Singh.

Rana Pratap. There were many. If all Rajputs were united, Akbar would have run away to Kabul or Persia. Akbar would have turned mad if I succeeded in killing Salim who was on an elephant.

Sambhaji Raje. Such things happen history. I never thought that I would be betrayed by my brother in law to Mughals.

Subhas. Your highness. Such Gaddars are therein India to day. They were plenty in past in all eras. Hindus basically lost every where due to the disunity and others won using treachery and deceit. Gaddars however helped them to maximum extent.

Raya. Gentlemen. All of you have spoken very well. You have fought valiantly against Muslim oppression and the Englishmen too at later stage in modern times. I am very happy that Shivaji Maharaj hastaken the responsibility of defeating the designs of Aurangzeb to convert Hidustan into an Islamic state. My empire defended south India for nearly 300 years. We fought tooth and nail with Bahamni bigots at Gulbaraga and Bidar.Later we fought five Deccani sultans.

Shivaji.I agree with you sir. I got great inspiration from your life. I took over from where you left and ruled with sword in my hand.

Velu Tambi. Dear friends. We struggled against foreign oppression. But at every stage our own countrymen betrayed us. It is shameful indeed. I think things are not different even today. Any numbers of traitors are there.

Pratap. I do not know when this land would be free of these traitors.

Velu Thambi. Probably we have to be reborn to free the land from the traitors and enemies.

Shivaji. That is very true I appreciate your thoughts.

( From the people who are watching them suddenly emerge Gandhi, Nehru and patel. They see Subhas sitting very close to Shivaji Maharaj. They are surprised)

Patel.Hoi, Subhas. How come you are here? Are you taking part in some drama

Gandhi. Hello Subhas .I find all historical characters here. What is this drama being enacted?

Subhas. This is not drama. We are real.

( Subhas gets up and introduces the trio)

Subhas. Dear friends. These guys are my friends and once colleagues while I was in congress party in India.

Pratap. What is this congress party.

Subhas. It is large group of people who are committed to some thought.

Shivaji Maharaj. I see. That is good.

Subhas. ( Showing Gandhi) He is mohandas Karam chand Gandhi, He is titled as Father of Indian nation. The next man in Achkan is Jawaharlal Nehru and is also titled Pandit ( Learned). The next man is Sardar Vallabhai Patel, the former Deputy PM of India

Pratap. What is this PM?

Subhas. PM is something like Chief Wazir.

( Gandhi, Nehru and Patel wish the dignitaries saying Namaste.

Shivaji Maharaj. Kindly be seated and offers seats to them and they sit down

Gandhi. I am very happy to meet great people of past.

Rana Pratap. Thanks dear. Mr Subhas said You fathered India. How was it. During our time also Bharatvarsha was there. What is the new thing you have done?

Gandhi. I have not done any thing sir. People called me so.

Pratap. Were they crazy? When you did not create Bharat why they should call you father of India.?

Gandhi. What answer can I give sir? I led the freedom struggle and the Englishmen finally granted freedom to India.

Subhas. That is his back ground. The other two are his staunch followers and occupied post of PM and Deputy PM after getting freedom .

Velu Thambi. Mr Subhasji, You were also with them for some time.

Subhas. Yes initially and later parted ways . I was hounded out of Congress. The trouble started when I won presidentship of Congress party and defeated Gandhis candidate Pattabhi Seetha Ramiah. It was the turning point in my career. Never mind sir. I became wise. I realized that the only way to win freedom was not by begging the Englishmen, but using sword.

Shivaji Maharaj. That was manly indeed. I appreciate your courage and sacrifice.Jai Bhavani.

Pratap. Jai Bhavani.I also appreciates Sambhaji’s efforts It was full of spirit and was manly too.

Raya. Nevertheless we appreciate Gandhi’s sacrifice and his final sacrifice too although India got divided.

Gandhi. Thank you sir for appreciation. I was not responsible for partition although many accuse me for leading to the vision.

Pratap. I feel bad because you guys have accepted the division while we fought for a different cause. My ancestor Rana Sanga fought Baber after his victory at Panipat ant Khanwa.

Velu Thambi. What is the use of this freedom with truncated nation?

Nehru. Some thing was better than nothing. Already freedom struggle got prolonged. Every one was getting impatient.

Velu Thambi. Say rather getting impatient for not gaining power.

Nehru. Sir. We were not after power.

Velu Thambi. In that case you should have refused to become the PM.You happily jumped into the seat.

Nehru. I think I was best suited as per Bapu.

Shivaji Maharaj. Who is this new guy bapu?.

Gandhi. It is me. I am also called Bapu fondly by my admirers.

Pratap. But everyone thought Patel was better suited. We heard he was tough.

Patel. Look Gentlemen. I was very much suited. But I was sidelined by Bapu. To console me I was given Deputy Pm s post.

Nehru. You should be happy for that. At least you got that. Be happy for that and thank Bapu.

Shivaji. Look Gentlemen. Please do not fight here. You fought enough when you were alive. At least be nice here.

Subhas. I am sure these guys got relieved after my disappearance after world war II in1945.I never surfaced any where.

Velu Thambi. Mr subhas were you really killed in an air crash after World War II.

Subhas. Sir. Kindly pardon me. I can reveal it.

Shivaji. We know that there is a great suspense about your vanishing after the WW II.Your opponents were happy I think that a great obstacle was removed on their way to power. We know that you would have been voted to power if you surfaced after independence of Bharat and this gentleman Nehru would have been sent on wild goose chase for life.

Subhas. What can I say.

Pratap.I also know that the government appointed may commissions one after the other and no on could prove that you died in air crash after WW II. As per records there was no air crash on that day.

Velu Thambi. Many believe that you were in Russian prison and some believe that you were deprived of your life by the British agents clandestinely after capture. There are no proofs today for all these rumors.

Subhas. Please leave me alone. Sir , At appropriate moment I shall let the world know.

Shivaji. Mr Subhas. This is very strange. You are a very bold person. What prevents you from telling truth?

Subhas. Your highness I shall reveal when time comes.

Raya. Does all this means you did not die in air crash? It looks like that.

Subhas. Your highness, I can not say anything now.

Raya. That is OK. I shall not press this issue.

Shivaji.. Friends. There is certainly some secret in disappearance of Subhas after WW II and some thing is definitely being hidden. Any how Subhas is not immortal and he has to leave word some day. So he is with us. The only issue is whether he died in accident, or done away with or died natural death after aging over. Probably truth will come out one day. Look M Gandhi and Nehruji. One day truth will come out and every ones roll will be exposed.

Gandhi. There is nothing to fear for us.

Raya. Then it is fine. Let us wait and see. Gentlemen. It is already late. We shall meet some other day.

Shivaji Maharaj.That is fine. Jai Bhavani

( All shout loudly Jai Bhavani raising their swords except Gandhi , Nehru and Patel. They have no swords. All walk away )

CURTAIN FALLS