INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN.....147

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN….147

Dr K Prabhakar Rao


( It is the place of common wealth games at Delhi. It si also a high security area. Lot of police men are seen every where. At some places army machine gun posts are also seen . Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen in the area)

Gandhi. Patel and Jawaharlal, Shall we go and see the games

Patel. Bapu. We may not be allowed inside. We do not have passes. We do not have money to purchase tickets.

Bapu. Does not matter. We shall see.

( They go to the entrance gate where they are stopped)

Inspector. Who are you guys. Where are you going?

Patel. Can’t you see? We are human beings. We want to go inside to see games.

Inspector. Either you should have pass or purchase ticket.

Nehru. We do not have any thing.

Inspector. In that case go back. Plesae do not waste our time.

Gandhi. Look brother. I am Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, These guys are Nehru and Patel, my friends, well wishers and followers. Can’t you recognize us. I am the father of nation. Nehru was the first PM and Patel was the first Deputy PM of India.

Inspector. Look guys. Please do not tell me all these things. I never heard about them. But you guys look familiar. Where I have seen you?

Patel. You must have seen our statues in city and in some towns

Inspector. Yeah. You are correct. You guys must have died long ago if what you tell is correct

Patel. Didn’t you study history at your school where some lessons would be there about us

Inspector. Nothing like that. We studied about Indira and Rajiv Gandhi and congress party.

Gandhi. heee…heee..heee, how bad it is1

Inspector. What is so bad about it? How long we should remember about you guys if what you tell is true.

Patel. What we tell is true. Any how please allow us inside.

Inspector. I can not do that. Go and get ticket. You guys are not even dressed properly. Is this the way you dress up when visit places.

Gandhi. What is there in clothes.

Inspector. Thank god, you are not naked.

Patel. Heee…hee.. What a joke!. OK I shall get tickets

( Patel goes to ticket counter and produces Rs 1000/ note to the clerk. He checks it carefully and gives three tickets and hands over 700 rupees to Patel.Patel pockets the notes and returns to Gandhi. they produce tickets at the gate and they are allowed in. )

Inspector. Plesae keep the stick here. It si not allowed.

Gandhi. Without this I can not walk brother.

Inspector. OK.

( They enter the arena of common wealth games. Inside big show is going on. Song written and composed by Rahman is being played. All are seen clapping. The trio find a place and sit down. People are looking queerly at them. Chaudhry, Agarwal and Arun are seen sitting next to the trio. They are not comfortable )

Chaudhry. Look old man, Have you got tickets? We are expecting some friends very soon. We want them to sit with us.

Gandhi. OK. If they come we will go out.

Agarwal. By the by are you wearing some fancy dress? You guys look like Gandhi, Nehru and Patel. You are almost like them

Patel. What do you mean sir? We are they and they are we

Nehru. What you think are we. We are the same guys what you think.

Gandhi. We are they and they are we. They and we are same. We are no different from them. They a re not different from us.


Arun. OK.Ok. Relax. Iam confused.

( The show continues and all are looking thrilled)

Ganhi ( looks at Patel) Look Patel. Is all this Tamasha required for India ?

Nehru. What is wrong? How do we spend money then?

Gandhi. There are millions of Indians starving in India. They are suffering from illness. They stay on platforms, torn huts and live like cattle. Is this the way one wastes moey?

Patel. Now the countries want to show off.

Nehru. Bapu. Otherwise who will recognize us? These are also required.

Gandhi. What non sense you are talking? Why so many millions of rupees are being wasted. Who gave this idea to Dr Man mohan singh?

Patel One need not give idea to him. He also gets ideas in his turbun. After al he is a reputed economist.

Gandhi. If he is a real good economist he will not allow wasting money like this.

Patel. Bapu. Your days are over. Your Charkah was sold in scrap yard. Look al are wearing suits and girls are in biknis to. We are more westernized. We want to ape Americans everywhere.

Gandhi.hee…heeee

Arun. Yu guys Can’t you guys keep quiet?

Gandhi. Is talking forbidden here? We shall talk. What you can do?

Arun. Ohfo. What type of nuts are these!

( In the mean time the team for 100 meter race gathers and gets prepared)

Gandhi. Patel. I think I shall join the race. I can out beat every one.

Patel. Bapu. You just can not do that. It is not free for all. All the participants are registered first from various countries.

Gandhi. Non sense. Keep looking.

( The event is about to start and the official fires the pistol into air and al of a sudden Gandhi is at the starting line and sprints ahead. All participants are also running, Gandhi is far ahead. Gandhi out beats all and reaches the finishing line leaving all behind. Greta claps are heard.)

Official. Looking at Gandhi. to which country you belong? What sis your name. you are not putting the dress required with your countrys name.

Gandhi ( sings)

Look I am an Indian
Know that I am not a redindian
I came from heaven
Know my age is ninty seven

I died when I was seventy nine
Some guy put bullets into me
From then onwards I am a dead man
Plesae trust me and feel free

Official. Ohfo. But you are alive. You have won the race although you have not registered. How come you are dead?

( In the mean time Patel and Nehru also join Gandhi to sort out matter)

Official. Who are these guys?

Gandhi. They are my friends.

( all the participants of the event also join them. Some are demanding that the event be reconducted as Gandhi was not authorized to enter)

Official. Look. You entry into race is not authorized. You can not be considered victorious.

Gandhi. That is unfair.

Official. My word is final. You can not dictate to me

Patel. Look. He is father of India. He is the citizen of India. He is very much authorized.

( The gathering gets restless. Members from some African countries gets annoyed and pounce on Gandhi. Gandhi stops them with palm of his hand and gives them a push. All are thrown off all are surprised)

Patel. Well done Bapu.

Official ( gets worried)Ok . Ok. I declare you winner and you get a gold medal.

Gandhi. Hip Hip Hurray. Indias prestige has been upheld.

Patel. Yeah. That was great

Official. Look friend . Plesae do not enter again like this. We are put to trouble.

Gandhi. I shall see.

Patel. Bapu. Let us leave them. If we want we can win each and every event.

Offical. Sir. Please leave some thing for others.

Gandhi. That is fine. OK We will leave.

Patel. OK Bapu. As you say

( The trio vanishes )
CURTAIN FALLS