INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN....198

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…198

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen in heavens and they are walking on a street. They see an old man lying on roadside. He is stocky, plump and appears to be a Brahmin. The trio goes to him)


Gandhi. Whoa re you sir? Why are you in this pathetic conditions.

Old man. Sir. Iam Adi kavi Nannayya. I hail from Rajhamundry. I was in the court of Chalukya king Raja Raja Narendra in 12 th century.

Gandhi. I heard about you sir. You are credited to have started translating Maha Bharatham from Sanskrit into Telugu on request by your king. I learnt that Narayana Bhatt helped you in your task.

Nannayya. Very true sir.

Patel. Sir . Why are you in this pathetic state? Why you are dumped at roadside? Who has done that?

Nannayya. I died long ago sir all of a sudden without completing my task and came here centuries ago. My statue was erected by NT Rama Rao on tank bund to honor me. Thanks to him.

Gandhi. That was really good. But recently some mad persons demolished the statue during an agitation for Telangana state..

Nannayya. What is my mistake sir? Is it because I was from coastal Andhra?

Gandhi. I feel sorry for it. Some miscreants and misguided persons have done it. I do not think all Telanganites subscribe to this type of vandalism.

Nannayya. Hope so sir.

Gnadhi. Soon your statue will be reerected at the same place.

Nannayya. Thank you sir for confidence building.

( The trio reassures Nannayya and he slowly walks away to his room. They start walking on the lane and they come across another person badly injured and lying on roadside. They rush to him and lift him up)

Patel. Who are you sir and why are you in this horrible state ?

Jashua. Sir My name is Gurram Jashua. I was a Telugu poet of past and belonged to 20 th century. My great work was Gabbilam. I am dalit earlier called Harijan by MK Gandhi.

Gandhi. That is me.

Patel. We heard about you sir. I also know that you went through great discrimination on caste basis.

Jashua. True sir. That was past. I have forgotten it. Sir My statue was demolished on Tank bund.aa…aa…aaa… ( sings)

My heart aches with great pain these days
I cry over peoples ways
I am sure I carry no blame
While my statue has become totally lame

Patel We are very sorry to know that and this was the work by some foolish and crank guys. They do not know your value sir. They are carried away by Telangana sentiments.

Jashua. Does it call for insulting us like this?

Patel. We are very sorry for it.

Jashua. I went through great humiliations throughout my life because I was a Dalit. Now I am persecuted because I am an Andhrite. How sad?

Patel. Hope God gives these guys some sense.

Jashua. I was no way concerned about Telangana or Andhra. I was dead long ago. How I am responsible for this agitation?

Gandhi. True sir. We have all sympathy. Your statue will be again erected there.

Joshua. No..no.. I do not want that, It will be demolished now and then. Better Iam left like this. These statues make no sense at all. Thanks sir for all the good words.

( Joshua gets up and slowly leaves and Gandhi wipes his tears. They start walking and reach Parkside and they see many people thrown as a heap. They rush to them. There they find CR Reddy, Raghupathi Venkat ratnam naidu, Sri Sri, Kandukuri Veeresha lingam, Gurajada Appa rao, Krishna deva raya, Annamcharya, Tyagayya, Erranna, Tikkanna, Kshetrayya, Ballari raghava, Shalivahana, Tripura neni, Mutnuri Krishan rao, and many more. All are seen crying loudly. They are badly disfigured, with broken legs and feet)

Gandhi. Patel and Jawaharlal. Please help them to their feet. They are lying one over the other. Some are badly bruised.

Patel. True Bapu.

( The guys are helped. Patel from a nearby pond gets them water and they drink and feel a bit better.)

Krishna Deva Raya. Is this the way these guys behave with us? I was a Telugu Emperor. Can they behave like this as we are dead. If I was alive I would have skinned the insane men who did this. ( He gets very angry and draws his sword and others prevent him and party to him to cool down).

Appa Rao. Strange indeed. What we have done to meet this fate. Did we ask NTR to erect our statues? Now they have shown the true colors right in front of Government. The present govt has no back pone to act strongly. They are just on lookers. Entire police force watched while we were insulted. Is this the way the deal law and order?

Patel. Sir. Every one knows about them. This is the state where police academy for IPS trainees is there. Hee..hee.. What training they can give to them?

Gandhi. Hee..hee..haa..haa

Appa Rao. Very true sir. You are correct.

Raghava. I was only an actor of drama and in no way concerned. In Hyderabad cinema most of the actors are from Andhra. Will they be driven out NTR and AKKINENI are from Andhra. Will they have no place in Hyderabad?

Patel. As per latest ideology that is the spirit.

(All the fallen leaders shout down with govt .. down with govt as it failed to contain the trouble makers.)

Gandhi. Please cool down guys. Iam MK Gandhi. The father of nation.

Mutnuri. From where you have come now? You were dead long ago.

Gandhi. True. I died. But I have power to appear again and again.

Mutnuri. Why. In what way you are useful?

Gandhi. Iam much pained at your words.

Mutnuri. Iam least bothered . Look at our fate. Can you stop this agitation that si going on

Gandhi. Probably I can not. All have rights to express grievances in democracy.

Mutnuri. But this is no way.

Patel. It is the new method . Old methods have vanished.

Appa Rao. Shame on you guys.

Krishna deva raya. If I come to power again I shall teach each guy a lesson for life time.

Patel. You will not get a chance again.

Deva Raya. They have to pay for ill deeds.

Patel. They think these are great deeds.

Gandhi. Why boil blood sir. Kindly forgive these guys. Jesus said. Oh father forgive them as they do not know what they are doing.

Appa Rao. It is easy to say. However you have quoted Jesus the great. We respect him. We forgive this vandalism. Plesae go and leave us here.

Gandhi. Thank you sir. You guys are very great.

Appa Rao. That’s I why our statues were erected.

Patel. Thanks guys. Thanks again. Bye

( The trio walk away to their rooms)



CUIRTAIN FALLS