INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...171

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…171

Dr K Prabhakar Rao


(Gandhi, Nehru and patel are seen discussing some thing over a cup of tea at a roads side shop in Hyderabad. Patel has news paper in his hand and is keenly seeing in to it. Nehru is busy scratching his bald head after removing his Gandhi cap. A guy is seen chewing pan and spits on the road and there is a big splash of the spit and some drops fall on people around. )

Gandhi. Sh..sh.. eee….aa… What is this Patel. The guys have no decency at all

Patel. Bapu. What is this? This is Hyderabad.

Nehru. Bapu. Pan is most popular in Hyderabad. Lakhs of people in this city make living on selling pan.

Gandhi. That does not mean that some one should behave like this. If he eats pan who is bothered?Let him eat any amount like a cow or buffalo. But some dignified conduct should be there. Some civic sense must prevail. Have I brought freedom to see these things?

Nehru. True. But what to do? Indians have strange habits that are not found in other countries.

Patel. Bapu, Do you feel that you brought freedom to India. Hee..hee

Gandhi. then who brought it?

Patel. We did not bring it. The Englishmen gave it to us thoroughly vexed up. They have seen guys spitting every where after eating pan and were scared some day guys will spit on them. So they left us suddenly. Credit must go to pan eaters and pan.

Gandhi. You must be joking.

Nehru. Look Patel. Plesae do not degrade Bapus achievement by talking like this.

Patel. People are used to this type of behavior here. Once I went to a flat to meet a friend and climbed stairs as lift was not functioning. Ohfo. What a scene!. At every corner of walls the walls are red with spit .Excellent designs were sprayed too. Guys who climb the stairs make sure that they spit at corners. There were some spittoons with sand. But they spit every where except in spittoons. In fact originally I was greatly surprised at the art on the walls. I thought these were decorative on walls. They were so systematic and symmetric and I appreciated till I came to know the truth. I almost vomited when I knew the truth. Chee…cheee… so dirty it was.

Gandhi. Very bad Patel. After all we are Indians. What can be expected from guys?

( Gandhi goes to the toilet in the hotel and washes his legs and returns.. The guy who was chewing pan is still there. His name is Narsing and along with him a friend is there. He is Basha. He giggles after seeing Gandhi)

Basha. I think you guys are new to this city. Eating pan and spitting is the hobby here. You should be happy that we have not spitted on you. ( sings)

We eat pan and spit everywhere
That is our hobby and learn to live
I can eat hundred pans in a day
And to eat thousand pans I strive

Gandhi. ( Claps ) Very good boy. Well said and sung too. Thank you for that. God bless you.

Basha. Why God should bless me. I will not accept your Hindu god. I accept only Allah. Allah ho Akbar.

Gandhi. I am sorry. May Allah show you some correct path.

Patel. Let Allah show mercy on you and keep you away from eating pan.

Basha. Why are you so much against eating pan?

Patel. We do not mind you or any one eating pan. We do not like the spitting the way you do.

Narsing. Please leave us here. No more discussion on this. Have we done any great crime? Forget things.

Gandhi. Look Patel. You were keenly reading the news paper. Is there any important news?

Patel. Bapu. To day the new CM KK Reddy will announce the portfolios to the ministers. I think we must watch it.

Gandhi. We must. What do you say Jawaharlal?

Nehru. What can I say when you say something. I can only say yes..yes sir.. yes sir

Patel. Three bags full

Nehru. None for me oh my master

Patel. All for you Bapu

Gandhi. Come on. You guys are making a joke of me.

Nehru. No Bapu.

Patel. What is wrong in it? That is what we are doing. We have done in past and in future also we would do that. Hee..heee

Gandhi. Come on guys , try to behave

Patel. Sorry Bapu.

Gandhi. Relax. Let us go for the assembly hall and see the tamasha.

( The trio lands up at the Assembly. In the lawn there is a big crowd. All of them are ministers and some MLAs too) some are rolling on ground. Some are trying to climb tress which they are unable to do.0

Gandhi. Patel . What is going on here. Plesae find out.

Patel. Bapu. It is very simple. All those guys who are rolling on the ground are the former ministers who have been denied ministerial berths now. They belong to Jagans group. They have been cut to size by KK Reddy.

Gandhi. whoa re the guys trying to climb trees?

Patel. They are the ministers who have been given unimportant port folios. They are protesting that they will jump from trees

Gandhi. So what happens. Nothing will happen

Patel. Bapu. All these guys have BP or sugar problem. If they jump they may break their bones, spines, legs and arms.

Gandhi. That would be good for the new CM. He will give posts to some other guys. There are many guys who are waiting with their tongues out hanging.

Patel. Bapu. Know one thing. None will jump like that. Every guys is scared for his life. They only pretend.

Gandhi. Hee..hee.. True. Where are the guts. Finally they settle thinking some thing is better than nothing. Any how they will get all perks and no work.

Nehru. Why do you talk like that. Are they so cheap?

Patel. It is not that they are cheap. The drama I am trying to high light. Till now only one guy resigned boldly. Others are doing some protests and building pressure on KK Reddy

Gandhi. true. Patel. What is the latest situation.

Patel. Bapu. Poor YSRs brother and Jagan came to literally blows in his home town when they met at his village Idupulapayala. Sonia has done great trick by pitting Jagan against his uncle. Now they will keep themselves busy fighting each other.

Gandhi. That is another story. What happened to those plenty of MLAs who were singing songs along with Jagan. Did they resign once Jagan resigned.

Patel. Bapu. Are they fools. Who wants to loose MLA seat. Still 3- ½ years are left. No one will take risk.

Gandhi. May thought that they would resign from congress party and could cause fall of the govt.

Patel. I am sure they are buying time. All these characters who sang Jagan song have not been given any post. They are booted out

Gandhi. Any one will do that. There is no surprise.

Patel. Haa..haa..heee..ee

Nehru. Why do you laugh Patel. Is this the matter to laugh?

Patel. Then should we cry? The state has become a laughing stock in the nation.

Gandhi. Poor state indeed. Any
how KK Reddy will not have easy time.

Pate. It is 100 percent sure. Any how wait and see the tamasha

Gandhi. True. Patel, should we go and meet some guys.

Patel. Bapu, Leave them alone Bapu. They are already frustrated guys. They may even attack us if we advise them. Wise men stay away from such guys. It is also said that advise should not be given when not sought. This is a famous teaching from Panchatantra . Bapu. You have already seen the pan chewqing guys at the hotel. Did they take our advice? Better avoid such guys and leave tem to their fate. They will learn in hard way and that is the correct way.

Gandhi. Very well said Patel. OK guys. Shall we go now?

Patel. Sure Bapu.


( the trio walks away slowly singing Ramdhun)