INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..306

                                          INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…306

                                         Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(There are many people collected in front of AP assembly gate. All these men are on lookers. Gandhi, Patel and Nehru are among them. Behind the closed iron gate black statue of MK Gandhi  in sitting position is found. A crow is seen sitting on top of its bald head.)

Gandhi. Look Patel, My statue is there. Have you seen?

Patel. I have seen it. It is so big. How I can miss it?

Gandhi. Why this crowd? Is there a function? Are they going to garland me? Usually lot of police stays here.

Patel. True. I do not know about any function.As it is, this place  has become big nuisense. Telangana trouble has made this place unsafe. One never knows what is going to happen.Police guys are trigger happy.

Gandhi. True. I also know it.

( Some people  at the gate start singing Ramdhun and Gandhi gets sentimental. He rushes to them. Patel and Nehru also  run for him fearing some trouble.)

On looker. I am suresh. Where are you going? Have you not seen the gate   closed?

Gandhi. Shh. I have not seen. Why you are bothered? This place  is for all.

Suresh. Who are you? You are very arrogant. Do you know  who I am?.

Gandhi. How does this matter? You may be anything.

Suresh.I am from Congress party. I am very close to CM and many ministers.

Gandhi. If so why you are hanging outside the gate.

Suresh. That is non of your business.

Patel. Come on  bhai. Do not be rude with such senior guy

.

Suresh. Oh, So you are his chamcha

Patel. Better behave. Learn to speak. Looks you have no basic manners. Is this taught by your party ?

Suresh. Do not criticise the party.

Gandhi. Patel, Levae him. He appaers to be insane

Suresh. Am I insane? You are insane. Your dad is insane, Your mom is insane, Your aunt is insane, Your uncle is insane, Your brother is insane.

Gandhi. Patel. Kindly take care of this guy.

 (Patel pulls up the guy by collar and slaps him hard.)

Suresh. Aa..aaa..aa. aaa

Patel. Better behave fool.How dare you say our Bapu insane. You  abused his parents.

( Few on lookers appreciate Patels action. They are  Narendra and  Ram avtar)

Ram. Well done uncle. This joker was  misbehaving with every one.

Narendra. He says he is highly connected and is showing off.He was bullying  some.He says  he is from Congress party and can do any thing  and get away.

Ram. Kutta Kainka ( Dog of street) Mar mar ke seedha kardo badmashko ( Beat him up well and straighten the rascal)

(Seeing the commotion some constables arrive and seeing them  suresh disappers.)

Constable. What happened?

Ram. Nothing brother. All is well.

Constable. That is good.Please do not creat noise and be quiet

( Constable goes away to some distance. Under a tree he leans on one leg and eats gutka)

Gandhi. Patel; I see some carpenters arriving here with some masons. I can see tools with them. There is a machine too. )

Patel. They may have some work.

Gandhi. But I suspect some thing more

Patel. Let us see

( The work men  approach the statue and keep tools at the base. Two men climb up the statue to shoulders height. Seeing them the crow  flys off)

Gandhi. What is this? What they are going to do there? Oh fo, they have a big machine saw also ( Shouts)Hey, What are you up to?

Patel. Why you have climbed up statue? Look at your dirty feet. Get down fact.

Mason. We are cutting off this statue into two halves

Gandhi, But why?

Mason. The state is divided. Telangana  has been formed.  All items are being divided between the two states.

Patel. Are you mad? Are you going to cut statue?

Mason. So are the orders

Patel. Looks  guys have become mad

Mason. Please do not disturb us. The work has to be finished fast.

( The workers hold the  machine and start sawing the statue into two halves starting from the head. In no time the statue is made into two halves. Then they carefully pull off the two pieces manually and place them on ground)

Gandhi. Aa…aaa…..ee….eeee.. I am cut into two.. eee

Patel. Bapu. It is only statue. Any how you died long ago. Godse did not cut you into two. He only shot you. Why worry now.?

Gandhi. Is this the way they share properties?

Patel. This is the only way as per them.

( In the mean time some white clad guys arrive and carry away one half of the statue shouting jai telangana and after some  the other half of statue is again set on pedestal by another group and they shout jai andhra…jai jai andhra.They then vanish giggling

Gandhi. Patel. These guys have become insane. Let us go.

Patel Well said Bapu. I do not know how many of your statues in city would be cut. Any how there are not many left. Let us go. Jawaharlal let us move.

Nehru. OK , Fine.

( The trio vanishes from the place )

                                    CURTAIN FALLS