INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..191

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…191

Dr K Prabhakar Rao



(Gandhi , Nehru and patel are seen at a public meeting organized at Nizam college grounds in Hyderabad. They are watching the people with great interest. Some leaders arrive in cars along with their coterie. Slogans are raised Jai Telangana ..Jai Jai Telangana.. Hoo..Hoo. Long live Telangana… Long live peoples struggle.. Hoo..Hoo..)

Gandhi. Patel. It looks today’s proceeding will be of great interest.

Patel. Sure Bapu. Day by day things are getting interesting too. Last week the VIPs in assembly disrupted proceedings and governors address. It was a great thing in democracy. In fact I watched things on TV. It was so interesting to watch. It was a great fun indeed. There was sucha great pell mell. It was a great chaos. Some VIP went as if it was free for all. Poor Governor was watching with disgust. Yet he completed his speech. He had great grit and determination.

Gandhi. Why not? He was after all a police officer from IPS cadre.

Patel. Heee..heee .. Yes. Bapu. In fcat I felt greatly ashamed to be there watching the entire thing.

Gandhi. You should take things in stride.

Patel Are you telling things to me. Every time you used to break your head with stone or chappal ( foot wear) recently and crying I do not want to live.. I am surprised.

Gandhi. It was momentary reaction. Later on I adjust to things. Look. Now I am very happy. It is a great past time to us.

Nehru. Bapu. Bapu. Some time your behavior is strange rather. We do not understand you.

Gandhi. You better be like that.

( In the mean time the leaders climb the dais and go to the mike. The people hysterically shout Jai Telangana…Jai ..Jai Telangana.)

Gandhi. Can we expect some fun today?

Nehru. Why not? It is all fun now a days.

( A leader speaks at mike)

Leader. Listen guys. Listen..Listen..Listen.. Be silent. I am your leader. Recently our Bands for two days were successful. Not a education Institution worked. No office functioned. No shop was opened. No business was made. No bus plied. No Lorry moved on road. No Auto plied. It was great success.

Patel. May people suffered greatly. I wanted to go to doctor. There was no vehicle. No auto obliged.

Leader. Telangana demands suffering and sacrifice.

Patel. What can I say?

Leader. Now we have to make things more difficult to government.

Gandhi. Better it is for people

Leader. Who are you. Why you are speaking in between. Are you from Andhra.

Gandhi. Iam from no where. I am from India

Leader. I see.

Patel. There is nothing to see here . Plesae speak up.

Leader. We have many programs ahead. In next action we shall stop all trains. Nothing can move.

Patel. Last time too some guys burnt MMTS coaches. What good they have done. At Osmania University buses were burnt. Is it good for society. It is all our money.

Leader. Such things happen in agitations. Some anti social elements join stir. They can not be stopped..

Patel. How sad! Police will surely book cases against such men

Leader. Let them do. Later they will withdraw cases as they have done now. It is all fun . In our next action trains will be stopped.. Some stations could be burnt as usual. All cell towers would be made dysfunctional.

Gandhi. That is bad. You can not use your cell phones. It will affect your agitation.

Leader. We shall not do that in that case. We shall encircle Collector and Mandal offices. Every thing will stop.

Gandhi. will ther govt allow it. Will they keep lookoing like fools.

Leader. What they can do.?

Patel. They shall fire on guys. Innocents will die

Leader. Some guys have to die. That I said earlier.

Patel. That could be you too.

Leader. I shall be at different places.

Patel. That means you push innocents to the front and hide somewhere.

Leader. Leaders have top be saved at all costs. It is a strategy of war. In past too leaders were saved by troops. Or else the agitation will die. Do you know in Haldighat battle a Rajput warrior dressed himself as Ran Pratap and carried his flag and Mughals were after him while Rana escaped after the defeat at Haldighat.

Patel. Plesae note that Shivaji Maharaj led his troops from Front. Don’t you know how he slew Afzal Kahn at Pratap Gad. Did he hide in his fort while Bijapur troops created crimes against Women and children and temples?

Leader. I was not there at that time to see what Shivaji maharaj did?

Patel. This is not the answer by you. You are absolutely clueless about leadership. Don’t you know Gandhiji led all actions from front.

Leader. Iam not Gandhi nor Shivaji.

Patel. Then why are you there?

Leader. Please do not waste my time. Please take this guy out from here.

(Some people rush at Patel and try to catch him. But they can not do as Patel does not have physical body. They get perplexed.)

Leader. Plesae leave him there. Listen.. We under any case will make life difficult to government. Let students loose the academic year. Telangana requires sacrifices.

People.. Hera ..hear.. ( all clap loudly)

Gandhi. patel. These guys are bent up on disturbing academic year.

Patel. Bapu. Education in AP has no meaning. There are so many Engineering colleges in AP particularly in city and you know the standards there. It does not make any difference. University would make all adjustments. No one will be detained for attendance. As it is they are granting degrees to students who do not pass in two subjects. You will not be surprise if they promote every one without exams and grant degrees to all final years without passing the exams. After all it is their powers.

Gandhi.. That is great..haaa..haa.

Patel. Hoo..hoo..hoo..Bapu. Now no one is bothering for Osmania Degree. Similar thing happened in 1969.

Nehru.. Hee..Hee..Hee

Leader. OK Guys. It was a good function. I am happy to be here although these jokers tried to disturb me. After all they are not from this state. They do not know our problems. I am pardoning them. After all they are old men at the gate of death.

Patel. One day every one has to be at the gate of death. You , me and every one.

Leader. I know that. But before that I want to become CM of this state. Or else I shall not a get a chance top become CM. In this big AP state how I can become CM. Small states are must so that many become CM, MsLA and ministers, Corporation chairmen, Vice Chancellors, secretaries, IGPs, this and that..hoo..hoo..hoo

Patel .That means you are not interested in common men.

Leader. They will be like that always whichever government comes to power. Common men are like gun fodder.

Gandhi. Shame on you guys. Better pack up from here.

Leader. Who are you to tell me?

Gandhi. You will not understand me. You could not know Shivaji Maharaj even. You do not lead from front. Students are pushed to the front and they are loosing lives. T here is no point speaking to you. You are a nut. Patel. Let us go. They shall cook their own goose.

Patel. Better relax Bapu. We have many good things to do. Look guys . Please understand your leaders. Think of Local leaders. No one is resigning. They are scared of the future. They are like cats on walls. Plesae be careful. Hope 1969 will not be repeated like Chenna Reddy did with Telangana agitation. He ditched all guys and joined Congress. It looks as if same thing will happen soon. We are going. Bye.

( The trio vanishes singing Ramdhun)

CURTAIN FALLS