INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...151

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN….151

Dr K Prabhakar Rao


(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen walking on a tank bund at the outskirts of Hyderabad on the way to Nagarjuna sagar. There is not a drop of water in the mighty tank. Gandhi is surprised.)

Gandhi. Look Patel. This is a very large lake. But there is no drop of water in this lake.

Patel. Yes Bapu.

Gandhi. Recently there have been so much of rains around the city of Hyderabad. Yet there is no water here.

Patel. Bapu. I shall tell you one thing. When people commit many sins they are refdlected in dried lakes that lead to suffering later. The guys of these areas deserve punishments . So gad does such things.

Gandhi. I agree. But innocents also suffer.

Patel. That happens. Innocents always suffer. But that si their destiny. Suffering is their fate.

Gandhi. This tank is so hunge and I do not know who built this tank.

Patel. Bapu. This is called Ibrahimsagar. The nearby village is called Ibrahimpatnam. Ibrahim was the Golconda sultan and was the third ruler of the dynasty. This tank is more than 450 years old. I can see some constructions of the sultans on the tank bund. There is also a Kali temple.

Gandhi. There is a mosque also there next to it.

Patel. That’s but natural. We should be happy that they are at some distance. People are saved.

Gandhi. We were discussing water in the lake.

Patel. True. Bapu, recently some local guys performed Varuna yagna in the lake bed

Nehru. What for?

Patel. It was to invoke rain god. Lot of people were transported from local villages on Phukat ka paisa and yagna was performed. All nuts and bolts too attended. At the end there was a great feast and all vanished. There was no rain at all. Gods are damne angry with locals.

Gandhi. It must be so.

Patel. Bapu. I read in a news paper that some people built 144 houses on a nallah that feeds this lake at a village on Hyderabad srisailam road. The nallah is called Phirangi nallah. So no water is coming to this side. I also learnt that many deep pits have been dug on the upper sides of lake for taking out sand. All rain water gets soaked in these pits. Thus no water enters lake.

Gandhi. That is very good.

Nehru. Bapu. Is it good?

Gandhi, As you sow so you reap..

Patel. Now what can be done.

Gandhi. Nothing can be done.Only way is to fill up with Krishna waters through pipe. After some time this lake will fall to land grabbers. Already they must be planning to grab this land. Slowly it will be occupied and colonies will be built after selling away lands. Even ministers will have stake in this drama.

Patel. Will it happen?

Gandhi. Why not? There was a lake in the center of Hyderabad city near Charminar. It was called Mir Jumla tank. Where is it now? I have seen it in 1964 also. Now only houses are there. There is no tank. There is a talab Katta now. Hyderabadis experts in these tricks. What about Mehdi patnam tank near Masab Tank. There was so much of water in this lake. Now the whole area has been grabbed. There is a small garden and rest has been grabbed.


Patel. People are so bad and they are very greedy too.

Gandhi. You should not be surprised if some one sells away Charminar and Golconda fort too. There are guys to purchase too. There will be some guy to grab Hussein sager in center of Hyderabad. Already there was a plan earlier to remove all water from this tank and fill it up to make residential lands. Government wanted to make money.

Nehru. It is a good idea. As it is the lake has only dirty water. It is a shit pond of city.

Patel. Hee…heee.. We wll said Jawaharlal for first time.

Nehru. If we tell this plan to Rosiah the CM he will be happy and we may even get Bharat Ratna for the suggestion.

Patel. Are you itching to get that Ratna?

Nehru. What is wrong?

Patel. Nothing wrong in it.

Gnadhi. I feel bad to see this dry tank.

Patel. What to do? It is their bad luck. Let them suffer. Bapu. Let us go. It is getting dark. This area is not safe.

Gandhi. Let us go.

( The trio quickly walk away)

CURTAIN FALLS