INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN,,229

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..229

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are at Rajghat park in Delhi and are seen sitting on cement benches. They appear to be in good mood. Ata distance flame flickers on Gandhi Samadhi)

Gandhi. Patel. How is everything around? It appears all is quiet everywhere.

Patel. Bapu. It is not that quiet Bapu as we think.

Gandhi. What is the matter? Where is the trouble now?

Patel. Bapu. The latest Tamasha is now happening in Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh.

Gandhi. Oh! There! What can be problem there. Poor Baba has died and is no more there

Patel. True. He is no more three.

Gandhi. Then where is the problem. He had lot of trouble in his last days. You remember we went there to see his mortal remains after he passed away.

Patel. Yeah. I know that. We faced lathi charge also. We could not see his body and had to return.

Nehru. I also remember that fiasco. There was mad rush there. It was foolish to go there at that time. We were old also and could not push through.

Gandhi. Poor soul must be happy now in heavens

Patel. How do you know he is happy?

Gandhi. After all he is dead now and no more living in India that too in AP state. He has to be happy.

Nehru. Is AP state that bad?

Gandhi. Surely. There is great chaos there with Telangana stir. Then there is Jagans problem who wants to become CM. On top of it Naidu is becoming very active. He does not like shadow of Jagan. All these guys have made AP a murky shit pot. I doubt some administration goes on there. How bad it is!

Patel. Bapu, In Puttaparthi also there is lot of trouble

Gandhi. Now what happened there? Has Baba returned alive? I was told that he predicted that he would live for atlesat 87 years.

Patel. Bapu. How any one can predict his life span? There is nothing in our hands.

Gandhi. I agree with you.

Nehru. Bapu. You have to agree with Patel. After all he claps for everything you say.

Gandhi. No one prevented you.

Nehru. Iam not like Patel. I am made of different stuff.

Gandhi. What exactly happened there?

Patel. Recently the locked private room where Baba used to live was opened infront of many guys including trust members. Ohfo, What to say!

Gandhi. Tell me what happened there?

Patel. They found heaps of currency and many kilos of gold. It was reported in news papers that more than 30 crores currency and 98 Kilos of Gold was there.

Gandhi. Bapre Baap. So much gold and money!

Patel. I think these figures came in news papers. In actual, there could be much more.

Gandhi. This is very bad. Why so much wealth aws stored in Babas room. I am sure he knew everything about this.

Patel. Surely. Why not. Actually no one is allowed into that room, except Baba and one close associate of Baba.

Gandhi. All this look fishy. Why Baba should collect so much wealth in his room and why it was not deposited in Banks and not reported.

Patel. Every one is much upset about it.

Gandhi. Baba called himself God. Why a God should do these things? Where was the necessity for him. After all he has no attachment with this world. He claimed himself as Baba that too Satya Sai baba.

Patel. Bapu. There is one more Tamasha now. A van was caught by police in which 30 Lakh rupees were being taken away and trust of sai Baba says it is not their money. Police suspect fishy dealings in trust and issue notices to trust members. I am also sure that great mischief might have happened.

Gandhi. Time only will tell you.

Nehru. Do you suspect Baba?

Gandhi. Iam not saying anything. The wealth only will tell. Why Baba should store so much money in his room. In India IT guys are after poor salaried classes for every rupee. But see now. Influential guys are doing all sorts of things and people are worshipping them like mad people. There sis something basically wrong with our nation. People are crazy and mad too.

Patel. I fully agree with you. ( sings and does jig)

Some Babas are found to do some good job
While poor and hungry are found to sob
But such men are very few
As few droplets of morning dew


In an age of science and reason
Our men are tricked in all seasons
Age old traditions force us to these pseudo sages
And many have vanished into history’s pages


Gandhi. Very good Patel. ( Sings and does jig)

Running towards sages is our leaders rage
In political rise it is a must at every stage
India is a funny and typical land
Where people can be tricked into Baba’s band

Once The Prime minister of the land called India
Fell flat at the feet of the Baba in front of media
Such is the fad among the funny Indian race
While the militants want to erase us from the earths face

Why don’t the Baba’s claiming mystic powers
Set our enemies right sitting on the tower
From their hands can they take out a tank and a gun
Idiotic Indians are subjected to ridiculous fun

Patel. That is very fine Bapu ( sings and does jig)

Can these Babas create tons of gold
And India would be richest and bold
Why our people can not see reason and refrain
And they run to Babas without healthy brain

It is only in India these Babas flourish
And all the Babas are found well nourished
Truth is difficult to digest and swallow
While all the claims made are only hollow

India is full of Babas and Swamis
Many have met at Babas hands their nemesis
Many of them can not be trusted with women
They do all type of things in their den

Nehru. All Babas are not bad.

Gandhi. Did I say Babas are all bad. We only said there are many tricksters in this game. Some tricksters are exploiting Indian sentiments. Indians like fools fall at fet of any one who puts on saffron robes, with beads, kamandal, Trishul and long hair. We really do not know who is fake and who is real. This is a murky game.

Patel Look, Shirdi sai was real Fakir. There are many who say that he did not do any miracles. Ok . But he was not after money. He did not collect gold and cash in tons in his room. He died a beggar and throughout life lived as a beggar. How can we compare Shirdi sai with any of dhongi Babas.

Gandhi. Very true. But it looks that whole story is being unfolded slowly. Let us see what happens after few days.

Patel. True Bapu. Let us wait and see the tamasha.

( In the mean time a guard arrives)

Guard. Look friends. Time is up. Please leave this place.

Patel. Why Bhai. Can’t we stay here for some more time?

Guard. No. Plesae go from here. Or I shall loose my job.

Gandhi, Bhai. This is a place where I was buried. This place belongs to me.

Guard. What are you talking. If are buried here how are you talking. You are alive now.

Patel. Bapu. He does not understand reality.

Gandhi. Look Bhai, I am actually dead, But you can hear me and see me , but can not touch me

Guard. Please do not joke with me sir. Please go.

Gandhi. OK Come with me to Gandhi Samadhi.

Guard. OK. Let me see it. You can not fool me.

(The trio and guard go to the Samadhi and while Guard looks at them Gandhi enters his Samadhi and vanishes. Guard is awe struck. He starts perspiring and collapses with a loud shriek)

Patel. Hee..hee.. Poor guy. He will be alright to morrow. Let us go from here.

( Patel and Nehru starts walking away and Gandhi quickly joins them)

CURTAIN FALLS