INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN...241

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN..241

Dr K Prabhakar Rao

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are at Delhi and are near Ramlila Maidan)

Gandhi. Patel. We have to go fast and see Hazare as early as possible.

Patel. OK Bapu, Jawaharlal, please hurry up.

Nehru. Ok. I am also keen.

Gandhi. I am happy that after me, there is a guy again in the news who has stirred the nation like I have done.

Patel. True.

Nehru. But he is almost blackmailing the govt.

Gandhi. How it is black mailing? He is raising voice against corruption.

Patel. Till date, no one has done like this. Every time a scam was revealed, it was brushed under carpet with some enquiry as they have done with Bofors. They could not punish any one. Katrochi has been let off and all cases are now withdrawn. Guys who made money escaped.

Gandhi. Will it be same for the 2 G scam now?

Patel. We have to see. At present, some guys like Raja and daughter of Karunanidhi are cooling heels in jail. But I am doubtful some thing will come out of these things. They are giving very long rope to all these scamsters.

Gandhi. I am also getting worried.

Patel. Bapu. You know Justice Sen has been recommended for impeachment by Rajya Sabha. Now it has to pass thorough Lok sabha. Once it is done, he will be impeached.

Gandhi. I think this is the first time that a guy has been impeached at the house of elders.

Patel. That was possible because he was not a political leader. If he was a political leader no one could have touched him. Could any thing be done to political leaders in past. At best they resigned. If he threatened to break party with many other MLA or MPs with him things were swallowed.

Gandhi. It is very true. The present scams have occurred due to this situation. Even Dr Manmohan singh once said that due to coalition politics, he kept quiet. That means many things were allowed to be overlooked to keep govt going. Scams were allowed too. Many things were over looked. Free loot went on for years at all levels. People in power made money left right and center.

Patel. What a shame!

Gandhi. At last some guy has come up to teach things to the corrupt guys. Even I could not do that in my time.

Nehru. Where was the time for you? You kicked bucket before any governing started.

Gandhi. True. I was sure that you would guide the country correctly.

Nehru. I did best.

Patel. Every one in this country knows what you did.

Nehru. Are you sarcastic? It sounds like that.

Patel. You know it better.

(The trio now enters the Ramlila Maidan ( wide ground). Surging crowds are present at the ground. Most of them are donning Gandhi caps with letters… Anna we are with you.. Long live Anna. Every where Ramdhun is being played. They are shouting Annaji ki jai.. Vande mataram, Bharat mata ki jai, Jo hamse takrayega.. mitti mein miljayega.

Gandhi. Oh! What a scene! It looks as if freedom struggle is again going on.

Patel. Anna already declared that the second freedom struggle has been launched. He said that the country has to be freed from corrupt governing. The Englishmen have left us. But still worst guys are ruling us at every corner of the country. The Englishmen were alien. They looted our country for few centuries and then left. Of course they streamlined the country and established governing methods. For them, nothing was left to loot in this country. But, the present guys in power are looting everything being the country men. These guys are experts in looting. It is called chorakala in Telugu.

Gandhi. Patel. You are correct and great.

Patel. Bapu. I am not that great. I am only after you.

Nehru. Will you stop praising each other? I am getting vexed up.

Patel. Why are you getting upset? Please do not worry. I will ask Bapu to praise you too.

Gandhi. Please find out Patel. How is Anna? He is an old guy.


( Patel goes to some guys and finds out about Anna’s health. He returns.)

Patel. Bapu. Anna Has become weak. Doctors have advised him to be hospitalized. He is refusing. Recently some religious leaders like Ravi shankar met him too.

Gandhi. What will happen if he becomes serious?

Patel. Probably govt will forcefully feed him.

Gandhi. Will they do it? They are scared guys now.

Patel. This is a final battle. If Hazare breaks fast, it becomes a problem. The tempo will die. It will be again difficult to build up the tempo.

Gandhi. But the old man has to be saved some how,. He has to live to fight further.

Patel. It is also true.

Gandhi. Shall we go to him?

Patel. We may not be allowed.

Gandhi. Why? Tell them that I am father of nation waiting to see him.

Patel. Bapu. No one will believe us. They think that we are from a drama party and we are dressed like them. Any how I shall try.

( Patel goes to the place close to Anna and he is stopped by few volunteers. They are Ramu, Laxman, and Bharat, Shatrghan and Bajrang)

Ramu. Hey. Where are you going?

Patel. I am Patel the iron man of India. Bapu and Jawaharlal are waiting to see Annaji.

Laxman. We never heard such names. Who is this new Gandhi?

Patel. Look at your cap. What it is called?

Bharat. It is called Gandhi Cap.

Patel. The one who invented this cap was original Gandhi. He has come now.

Bajrang. I heard that the original Gandhi died long ago after partition in 1948. He was slain by Nathuram Godse.

Patel. Very correctly said. The same Gandhi has come now. We are his friends. We want to see Annaji.

Laxman. Be careful. These guys could be tricksters. They may harm Annaji. Please do not allow them.

Patel. Why should we harm him? We are also like him.

(Hearing the commotion some senior organizers arrive and enquire .They are Hari and Sarangi )

Hari. Look brothers. Annaji is very weak. It is better not to disturb him.

Patel. We shall see him for a minute and then go.

Sarangi. Look Hari, Let us take these guys to Annaji. They are very old guys.

Hari. OK.

( The trio is taken to Annaji who is lying on a bed fasting. He is surrounded by many aides and some doctors too. Hari leads the trio to Annaji and introduces them to him)

Annaji (In weak tone with half open eyes). Namaste . Who is there? Looks like Bapu. Are you Bapu?

Gandhi. Yes. I am Bapu. Your Bapu. But do not belong to any one today.

Annaji. Iam happy to see you. Namste Patelji and Panditji. Look at me.

Gandhi. You are leading a bold struggle against a corrupt regime.

Annaji. Some one has to do. I am at it. The nation is behind me.

Patel. There must be many crooks in this country in powerful positions who want your struggle to fail.

Annaji. Such guys will always be there. Such men were there in your time too. Now also they are there. They want to make money. They want to sell away the country. Scores of Guys stored money in Swiss banks. Govt knows it. But says it can not do any thing.

Patel. Surely many top guys are involved in it. If the list is exposed, heavens will fall. All efforts are made to hide things.

Annaji. Baba Ramdev tried his best by fighting against it. But he did not succeed. He did not get much response from people when he was forcibly arrested and the sleeping crowd was dispersed in the middle of night.

Gandhi. Failures are stepping stones to success. There is no point dying. General Patton said once, No bast… has won a war by dying for his country, but has won it by making the enemy guys dying for their country. Annaji, remember one thing. You must live to see that your wish is succeeded.You must make your enemies tremble. If a corrupt guy dies lakhs of corrupt guys will emerge. If you die many Hazares will not be born immediately. You are very old and weak too. There could be some uprising immediately and that will die soon as no immediate leader of your caliber is present to day. Your advisors have limited popularity and can not stir the nation as you have done. The masses will become leaderless. The movement will whither away. During First Independence movement that we took up, there were many stalwarts who were very popular and each one of them could lead in my absence. Patel, Jawaharlal, Rajaji, Rajen bapu, Azad, Subhas, Satyamoorthi and many more were there. I am calling our movement as first freedom movement as you have started another movment to free this nation from looters, scamsters, cheats, crooks and thieves who are in the garb of administrators, leaders of all types. None of your immediate followers are of your caliber. They are mediocre. The people do not know them. They can be only led. They can not lead the nation. Therefore, it is very essential that you survive and not sacrifice your life now. If you become very weak you may not recover soon. After all, you are already 74 years old. Therefore do not pull the thread till it breaks. Try to adjust a bit and build continuous pressure over them. Let them not have sleep all their lives. Make them shit in their pants.

Annaji. Thanks Bapu for your advice. I shall try.

Hari. Brothers. It is time we leave Annaji to relax. He is tired.

Patel. Ok Annaji. Please take care of your health. Health is wealth also. Please remember that. Remember what General Patton of America said during World War II. We are leaving.

( The trio walks out singing Ramdhun while a guy presents them Gandhi caps. )

CURTAIN FALLS