Into the past with pain ..330

 

                                                     INTO PAST WITH PAIN...330

                                                     Dr K Prabhakar Rao

It is a lane in Hyderabad  somewhere near Panjagutta locality. People are busy everywhere and at a corner tea cart is there. The vendor is selling tea charging Rs 6 for each plastic cup full of tea. Gandhi patel and Nehru are seen walking on the street.

Gandhi. Patel. I am tired. Shall we relax for some time?

Patel. sure Bapu. But there is no proper place. We shall go to that tea cart.

Gandhi. OK. Jawahar do you mind?

Nehru. Not at all. Why should I ?

Gandhi. You were PM of this nation for 16 years. You might have inhibitions.

Nehru. You are trying to pull my leg bapu.

Gandhi. No bhai.

(The trio goes to the tea shop .There is a bench there and three sit on the bench. Youngsters give them the bench)

Gandhi. Boys thank you.

Boys. Never mind sir. You are senior citizens.

Patel .It is very nice of you. May god bless you .

Boys. Thanks sir,

Gandhi. I think we must have tea.

(Patel goes to tea vendor and  gets three cups of tea. They start sipping tea.)

Nehru. Patel bhai. Tea is really good.

Gandhi. Yes. I also feel it.

(After having tea ,they start walking on the street. They see a GHMC dust bin on the road  side full of garbage overflowing. Pigs and  dogs are scampering and searching in the bin.. Entire area is nasty  and filthy..)

Patel. Bapu. The area is filthy . Better we walk into other lane soon.

Gandhi. Why.. are you scared?

Patel. No.. No..This  is a place of filth, made by the people for the people and of the people.

Nehru. Good copying from Constitution.

Gandhi. Why this should   be so shitty?

Patel. No one is bothered. People of this area are least concerned

Gandhi. They know that even if they complain nothing will happen.

Patel.. hee...hee  True. Well said bapu.. ( sings)

Bapu always tells truth

And also stands fully erect

People are bit bitter  about it

Yet what he says is completely correct

Nehru.. Hear ...hear. There is a limit for sycophancy.

(They see  many  well dressed people walking in a group on the street.  They stop at the dust bin. The trio  also  goes. there. A leader dressed in whites is surrounded by  people. They are all in bent posture and looking at him.)

Gandhi goes to a person named  saboo  near by and asks him.).

Gandhi. Who is this guy? Why all are around him . Why every one has back pain andare bent.

Saboo. He is a minister from municipality portfolio. They are showing respect by being in that position.

Gandhi. So. Why this tamasha?

Saboo. He is going around Inspecting the locality for cleanliness.

Patel. Is it the ministers job.

Gandhi. He is educated, young and acts dynamic too.

Patel. Baou. Let us see this fun   a bit.

Minister. ( Looks at officials ) Look at the dust bin. Is this correct? Why this has not been cleaned

Official ( Yadgiri)  Sir. We do not know that you are visiting this place

Minister. That means you guys clean only when you know that we are visiting.

Official. Not like that sir. We also do it regularly

Minister ( angrily). If so why it is like that?

Yadgiri. In future we will be careful sir ( He still bends down further)

Minister. That is better. Be careful. Next time, if I find the same state, I shall sack you. wrench you

Yadgiri.( within himself......Hee..hee  poor guy does not know that I am retiring  tomorrow. Whom he will wrench?)

Minister. What are you thinking? Planning  something?

Yadgiri. No sir. I am only thinking how best to prevent such follies

Minister. good.

(Minister turns around and sees the trio.)

Minister. Hey guys come here

Gandhi. Patel ,tell him to  come here. I am tired.( He sits on a stone slab)

Patel ( Goes to minister) Sir. He is very old and sick. Please come to him

(Minister goes to Gandhi.)

Minister. Hey. You are dressed like some statue that I have seen in Ranigunj

Gandhi. That is my statue. I am Gandhi

Minister. Come on. Now a days every one dresses up as Gandhi and begs.

Gandhi. Please do not say that. I am not a beggar. I am real Gandhi. Ranigunj statue is mine

Minister. Relax you appear to be  a crank.I don’t want to waste my time with you. I have to visit many places

Gandhi. Can you visit places like this  regularly?

Minister .Why not? I am a true professional.

Gandhi. Time only will tell you. Please go sir. I also do not want to waste my time arguing with you.

(Minister goes  angrily)

Gandhi. Patel. Have you heard him? All types of guys become leaders and occupy positions.

Patel. Bapu. These days power depends on the family rule. It is mostly dynastic succession. Earlier we had Delhi sultanates like Khiljis, Tughlaqs, Slave dynasty, Lodhis, Mughals, Faruquis, Bahmanis, Kutubshahis, Barid shahis,  Adilshahis, Imad shahis, Adilshahis, Nizamshahis,

Nehru. You forgot Asifjahis of Hyderabad

Patel. Sorry. They were also there. Now in India we have Gandhis, Sindhias, NTR, KCR,Owaissis, lallus, Yadavs,  etc. Every MLA inducts his wife, son, daughter  or daughter in law into some position as MLC, JPTC chair person or atleast as corporator

Gandhi.. Haa..haaa. I was a fool. I did not promote my sons. They all died unsung and un heard.

Patel. Thats why people gave you the title Mahatma.

Gandhi. But I am not that great

Patel. You are modest Bapu. You are far above these silly guys of today.

Gandhi. Look Patel , those comic figures have gone away. Thank god. GHMC officials also  vanished in their cars after him..

( In the mean time , a lady comes with four  bags and dumps left over food near dust bin. All dogs and pigs run to grab the left overs. The dogs snarl at onlookers. Pigs grunt at the dogs.)

Gandhi. Claps.. Haa.. haa..See now. This is India.. Swatch Bharat.. Mera Bharat Mahan.

Patel. Our guys will never learn.

Gandhi. True. Basically there is something wrong with our peoples DNA  in the country. They can not be reformed. Swatch Bharat remains only a slogan and dream of Modi sahib.

 Patel. Therefore  our past   leaders  never ran after these pranks. Swatch bharat or kachra bharat guys need power for themselves, their families, sons, daughters,  daughter in laws , sons in law  this and that..Haa..haaa..heee..heee ( sings)

India is a land of funny nuts

Where all areas stink and  are dirty.

We boast high and at high pitch

That we are in the world great and  mighty.

Gandhi.. Hear ..hear( claps loudly) Let us go.. It is getting late

The trio walks away singing Ramdhun..

                                CURTAIN FALLS