INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN ...276

                                 INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN….276

                                                  Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Patel, Nehru and Gandhi are  sitting in a room in heavens. The room is poorly furnished as usual. Gandhi occasionally coughs. In the corner of the room a gramophone is kept. Patel goes to it and plays the songs after winding the  spring and changing the needle. A song blares out from the cone)

 Doosron ka dukhda dhoor karne wale

 tere dukh dhoor karenge ram

Kiyeja tu jag mein b halayi ka kaam

Tere dukh dhoor karenege ram                  ( Kavi Pradeep)

Gandhi. Aha. What a song! How true it is. Who is the singer and writer of the song

Patel. It is Kavi Pradeepji. He wrote and sang too. He was highly talented.

Gandhi. How well he said! You help and mitigate the hardships of others and god would take care of you and will remove your sorrows.

Nehru. True Bapu. Is it possible to help every one?

Patel. Jawaharlal. Remember, If you can not help him atleast do not create problems for him. That itself is helping.

Nehru. I think you mean some thing hidden against me.

Patel. What can be there. I told plain truth.Why you feels so. You always feel guilty.

Gandhi. Come on guys, please relax. What are our guys doing in India sitting at Delhi?

Patel. Do you mean Dr Man mohan singh and his team?

Gandhi. True. I mean them.

Patel. What they can do. They are sunk in neck deep scams. They are helping themselves.

Gandhi. I know that. What they have done recently?

Patel. Bapu. The govt increased the  prices of Diesel and cooking gas by large amount. They also restricted number of gas cylinders to individuals.Theya re allowing Foreign investment in retail trade in India. Wall Marts will come to India soon.

Gandhi. How bad? This will effect common people. It will not affect the top guys.

Patel. Yeah. True. They will get all free and Phukat. It is only common men who are at receiving end. Bapu. Is there no end to this suffering?

Gandhi. End has to be there. All good things for the ruling party would soon come to an end.

Patel. Bapu,the whole Bharat observed Bandh on 20  September.

Gandhi. They will do that. As usual PM will not open mouth and observes silence as silent Buddha.

Patel. Hee..hee.. Haa..haa

Nehru. Why do you guys laugh?

Patel. Then what we should do? Should we cry?

Nehru. I did not men that.

Patel. Mamta Banerjee the coalition partner and CM of   Bengal  withdrew her support to the govt on the price rise issue.

Gandhi. Then what happens. I think PM is prepared for that. He will rope in other parties whoa re waiting for that. Money can purchase any one.

Patel. Mulayamji is a tricky guy. He will fish in troubled waters. He has to be given his due if his support is  sought.

Gandhi. They will do that. I do not think that the PM has not foreseen these things. He is silent but clever too.

Patel. I am sure the days of this govt are numbered.

Gandhi. Let it be. There is no love lost. Another govt will come.

Patel. Now every one wants to be a PM.

Gandhi. So be it. More the merrier. Any how they have ruined the country. People again will elect all these guys. It will be old wine in new bottle. Heee..heee

Patel. Haa..Haaa.haaa Well said Bapu.Whatever is to happen it will happen. If Indians  are destined to suffer they will suffer. If Manmohan goes some Jagmohan will come. All arte same.

Gandhi. Patel. The record is over. Please change it or stop it.

( Patel goes and changes the record. A song blares out.)

Dukh ke.. Dukh ke Ab din beetat naahi

Dukh ke.. Dukh Ke

Sukh ke   Ek sapna tha.. Sukh ke

Dukh ke

Na my kisi ka.. na koyi mera

Aai.. Yaro

Ghor Andhera.. aain. Yaro

Ab kuch soojhat naahi

Dukh ke                                    ( Immortal singer actor KL Saigal from Devdas 1935)

(Gandhi sobs and is comforted by Patel and Nehru )

                                                 CURTAIN FALLS