INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...265

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…265
Dr K Prabhakar Rao


(Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are seen at Tank Bund ( Hussein sagar) and watching the statues that stand on the foot path of Tank bund . The statues face west and dirty polluted waters and their backs are towards east. It is evening time and red sun is going down the horizon in west. Flocks of birds are seen returning to their nests in trees that are found in the park near by down the tank bund called Indira Park which is also called lovers park. )

Gandhi. Patel, Where are we standing now? I find many statues around here.

Patel. There are many in the lake too submerged. Hee..heee

Nehru. So much money has been wasted on statues. I feel sad.

Patel. This expenditure is a penny compared to what has been done by Mayawati in UP and Jagan in Andhra and Royala seema on his father’s statues after his death in a chopper crash on a rainy day.

Gandhi. Indians surely have lost reasoning. They are carried away by sentiments. It could be all right if a statue has been erected after some one’s death if he deserved it. But erecting a statue while he is alive is ridiculous. Mayawati appears a strange person in this regard. It is OK she erected some statues for Kanshiram who is no more. But why her statues should be erected? What is big about her? Eee..eee….ee.. My statues are dwindled now. I feel sad.eee…eeeee…eee

Patel. Bapu, Who wants you? Your own children did not want you when you were alive? Indians have already forgotten you. If a question is asked to a school kid, ‘’ Who is MK Gandhi”, he will answer, “ He was the father of Indira Gandhi?”. Haa..haa….haaa

Gandhi . Eee…eee..ee..eeee… Patel, Can’t you do some thing on this?

Nehru. What he can do? This is a changed scenario. Even my statues are very less. I find only one statue of mine at Abids circle in this city with a dove in right hand.

Patel. Poor dove?

Nehru. Why poor dove?

Patel. That dove is unable to fly. It always stands in your hand trying to fly.hua..hua..hua… heee..heee. See ,like this.

( Patel imitates a dove by flapping his hands and laughs)

Gandhi. Hee..hee..hee

Nehru. No jokes please.

Patel. Look, Recently many states of Baba Saheb Ambedkar were smashed in coastal Andhra region and govt got jittery and took special safety measures for Jawaharlal’s statue at Abids so that it is not damaged by some nuts. Now, he is a captive among guards and iron bars. When he was alive he was a prisoner of his office. He could not move freely.

Nehru. You guys have seen what happens when some one special moves freely in society. You know what happened to Bapu in 1948. He was gunned down by Godse at his prayer meeting like a sitting duck.

Patel. Popularity also generates enemies. I am happy no one wanted to get rid off me. I got rid off myself .I prayed to god to take me away soon and save me from this shit around. I died earlier. Haa..Haa..Haaa. I am happy that way. (Sings)

I am the happiest guy to die
And thus happy like a magpie
Living guys have ruined this nation
Where poor struggle daily for ration

Leaders set free doves in a show
In their brains evil plans however flow
All such things are tricks of the trade
I always call frankly a spade as spade

Gandhi. Well sung Patel. You are very straight forward. Now come to the point. We are standing in front of a statue and this looks new unlike the other statues. Who is this great man in turbine?

Nehru. Please say turban not turbine. Both are different. Turbine is a machine used in power plants. Turban is an head gear.

Patel. Bapu, He is Komaram Bheem a martyr from Telangana.

Gandhi. What great deeds he has done? Do you have any idea?

Patel. I know. I read about him in an article. He was a Gond and he fought erstwhile forces of Nizam 7 through Guerilla war and tried to save his people from oppression during last century before India was given freedom. He was not known much to people from other districts in Telangana. His memory has been revived and the present Telangana stir has added fuel to the fire. He has become an inspiration to the agitators in Telangana.

Gandhi. It is good. They have done some thing better. But throwing statues of Andhra leaders into waters is bad. That can not be accepted at any cost.I heard that statues of great men like Emperor Sri Krishna Deva Raya of Vijaynagar was also damaged.

Patel. That’s is the work of vandals. People have nothing to do with it.

Gandhi. It could be so. I am happy that a tribal leader like Komaram Bheem is being glorified instead of erecting statues of some Telangana men who are now busy in the agitation.

Patel. A day will come for them also if Telnagana is materialized. Already statue of Prof Jayashankar has been erected. He is no more now.

Gandhi. I am sad he passed away without seeing Telangana.

Patel. Probably the govt has to find some other place for more statues to be erected.

Gandhi. This lake is very big and has road all around. They can erect a statue after every 10 feet around the lake. Thousands of statues can be erected in future. Statues of all agitators who lost life in Telangana stir of 1969 and present one can be erected. Still there will be place for many more.

Patel. Statues also can be erected on tank bund opposite to the present ones. Then there are more reservoirs like Saroornagar lake, Mir Alam, Uppal lake, Durgam cheruvu. All these places are good for statues. Why worry? Only thing is that they have to make a list of personnel who should be honored and make statues for them.

Nehru. Is the discussion over? I m getting head ache. Why are you wasting time over silly discussion?

Patel. What troubles you friend? You are however happy when everything in AP in particular is being named after yourself, Indira and Rajiv. Are there no patriots in this country other than these guys? What a mockery!

Nehru. I did not tell them to do so.

Patel. But you are happy when it was done.

Nehru. I am helpless because I am dead.

Gandhi. True.

Patel. It is the mistake of present leaders. They want to erase memory of other leaders except those of dynasty. Otherwise where is life for them? They will not get governors posts, CM's positions and Central minister's posts and state funeral if they kick bucket when out of power. They as independents have no identity. Even their wives will not vote for them. Hee..hee..hee

Nehru. I am disgusted. I am going.

Patel. Where you will go? Do you have identity without Bapu? Please stay with him.

Gandhi. Patel, Leave him. He will slowly learn things. OK . Let us go. Jawahar is upset.

Patel. OK Bapu .

( The trio leaves singing Ramdhun )

CURTAIN FALLS