INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…133

                                              Dr K Prabhakar Rao

 

(It is the border area of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh
states in India
and it a wilderness of dry land rocky plains with ups and downs. Gandhi, Nehru
and Patel are seen roaming there. They are dressed as usual.)

 

Gandhi. Look Patel. This land appears deserted. I have not seen
a human being around. What can be the reason?

 

Patel. Bapu. This is a dry land. These areas once formed territories
of great Vijayanagar Empire. Now they are called Royala seema meaning the lands
of Royas.

 

Gandhi .  I learnt
that former AP CM belonged to this area.

 

Patel. True.

 

(They walk for some time and over a small high ground   Patel
shrieks loudly)

 

 Patel. . Bapu and
Jawaharlal please come fast.

 

Bapu. We are coming soon. Look Jawaharlal. You just run
there. I will take some time as I am old and weak.

 

Nehru. Never mind Bapu. We go together. I can not leave you
alone. You may fall down. The area is full of stones.

 

Gandhi. How nice of you Jawaharlal. You are taking so much
care about me even now.

 

Nehru . Why not Bapu? You made me PM of India  after partition. Patel was a big contender.
But you  sidelined him.

 

Gandhi. I know.

 

Nehru. Bapu. Don’t you think Patel still feels bad about it?

 

Gandhi. I am not sure. He may be sulking in heart. Once or
twice sarcastically he vent out his feelings.

 

Nehru. Any how all is over. My name has gone down the
history as a great PM of great achievements. (They do not realize that Patel
was behind them and listening too)

 

Patel. ( Claps) Very good Bapu and Jawaharlal. You came. You
did not notice me  when you came to this
place. Bapu. I heard your conversation.

 

Nehru. What was that?

 

Patel. That Bapu made you as PM and that I was sulking.

 

Nehru. You heard wrongly.

 

Patel. Does not matter. I am much hardened like steel.  I am above these feelings and silly things.

 

Gandhi. Jawaharlal. Patel appears to be annoyed.

 

Patel. Why should I? I am least bothered. I am happy that
there is no scandal against me or allegation of mismanagement of national
affairs particularly regarding Defense matters.

 

Gandhi. Patel. You must forget and look into future.

 

Nehru. Bapu. Patel always reminds me about Chinese war and Kashmir problem ( Cries) eee…eeee.. Bapu I was a victim of
cicumstances..eeee…eeee..aaa….aaa…oh.ohh..waa..waa

 

Patel. It is OK. Please do not cry like a child. You were PM
of India.
PMs do not weep.

 

 

Gandhi. Forget the past now. Patel. Why did you shout loudly
and asked us to come fast?

 

Patel. Have you seen the area?

 

( Gandhi and Nehru wipe their eyes  and take a careful look around)

 

Gandhi. Ohfo . What a sight! Entire Land
is a big crater. I think it is   
1000   times of Arizona crater.

 

Nehru.  Patel. I am
sure  this was formed  by a 
big terrestrial object some time ago 
that crashed here.

 

Patel ( Claps) hear . Hear.. 
What a theory!I am happy you did not relate to big bang theory. I am
sure you must be given Nobel prize.

 

Gandhi. What is there to mock at him?

 

Patel. Bapu.  Do you
know this area had great iron deposits?

 

Gandhi.  I  am not aware of it.

 

Patel.  Plesae know
now.  Next to  AP state is Karnataka. There are two Gali
brothers who are  politically very
influential. I think they are members of the assembly.  There are 
great allegations that these brothers illegally mined iron ore from
these lands and made money.

 

Gandhi. Could  they
dig up entire land, so huge, so vast

 

Patel. . Bapu. They are capable of digging entire Andhra
Pradesh and Karnataka many Kilo meters deep. If they are allowed they will dig
entire India
and this countrywould be submerged in ocean.

 

Gandhi. The guys must be very enterprising.

 

Patel. There is another guy in the field. He is Jagan. He is
also accused of similar job.

 

Gandhi Oh Jagan , the son of late YSR

 

Patel. Yeah. The same guy who wanted to become the CM of AP
state immediately after his father’s sudden death.  His stooges were doing signature campaign to
make him CM  even before YSR was laid to
rest.

 

Gandhi. Yeah. I know this. I read in papers. How bad it is?
Patel Politics is a very dirty game. Son does not care for father and vice
versa. I am happy I and you died early. ( sings)

 

We are the happiest guys to die

Devoid of any remorse

There are plenty of jokers around

Who go around crying hoarse

 

They cry that they are not made the CM

Always indulge in some 
tricks this and that way

I feel ashamed to be in this state

Better I sleep after eating some hay

 

 

Nehru. I was unlucky in that aspect. I slogged till 1964
before I died. Only I know what  all
difficulties I faced. ( Cries) eee…eee….aaa..aaaa….waa..waa

 

Patel. Jawaharlal. But you were very ambitious too. You
aimed at Nobel Prize and that was never given to you. It only goes to the
deserving.

 

Nehru. Look Bapu. Patel is again at the old game.

 

Gandhi. Patel.   Please leave him.

 

Patel. Bapu.  These
Gali brothers and Jagan  are now accused
of doing great  harm to  the natural 
assets in AP state. Damage has been done already. Bapu. The entire
official machinery is corrupt and without their connivance these guys can not
do anything.

 

Gandhi. That means you say that govt servants are to be
blamed.

 

Patel True Bapu. Those too are higher ups. Low level
officials can not do such damage. They have already looted with both hands.  The funniest part is that no action is being
envisaged. They are influential and can buy people.

 

Gandhi. Can we do hunger strike till death to force the
issue?

 

Patel. I doubt it will have any
effect.  You already lost your effect on
Indians. They only use your name of Gandhi. In front of Assembly they erected
your black statue that is highly awkward to look at. Now and then the MLAs
assemble there and do some tamasha of protests. Immediately after they gulp Tiffin like Idly, Wada,
Dosa to their belly full and yawn loudly. Some eat pan also and then bray. I
wish your statue is removed from there forthwith. Atleast it will salvage some
of the remaining grace of you.

 

Gandhi. Then do it fast

Patel. I shall do that soon. Bapu. If this entire area gets filled with water
it may look like a  man made  mini ocean like black sea or Caspian  sea  or
dead sea that  are in Europe. It may
become a tourist attraction.

 

Bapu. True. We must give this proposal to the government of
AP.

 

Patel Govt is also thinking of making this a big waste disposal
place. It will suffice for next thousand years.This also could become one of
the woders of the world. i.e a man made ocean.

 

Gandhi. Chee…cheee. What a silly plan.

 

Patel. Bapu. In govt there many
civil servants whose brains are full of ideas. They keep visiting foreign
countries often to become wise and try to implement some cranky thoughts here.

 

Gandhi.. Great indeed. Heee..heeee
( sings and  does jig)

 

This land is full of nuts

With their brains full of silly
thoughts

They take people for a camel ride

While  the state suffers eternal draught.

 

( In the mean time a group of
people arrive there in two jeeps. They are armed with guns. They get down from
the jeeps and approach the trio.they appear to be watch and ward guys and  the leader is Chengappa and otherfour
are  Rajiah, Chengiah, Kotappa, Narsanna.
Chengappa is the leader)

 

Chengappa.  Hey. Who are you guys here This is a
prohibited area. Yu are not supposed to be here

 

Gandhi. Why prohibited? There is
no board. This is free India

 

Rajiah You appear to be a rogue.
How dare you reply?

 

Patel. Look Mr.  Behave yourself. Are we rogues? I think you
are the rogue who has dug up this area illegally.

 

Rajiah. Am I looking like joker to
you?

 

Nehru. Sure. You are no doubt.

 

Patel That is good  Jawahar. Thanks for support.

 

Nehru. That is OK. When we
confront others we are one.

 

Pate. Thanks.

 

Chengappa.  Look. I am the warden here. You have to go
from here

 

Gandhi. What will you do. We will
not go.You guys look like criminal gang employed by  the mine diggers  and looters rather.

 

Chengappa. I shall show you  who we are

 

Gandhi.  You can not 
do anything to us.

 

Chengappa. You skeletons watch
out. ( He aims his  gun at Gandhi)

 

( Suddenly Gandhi, Nehru and Patel
turn into skeletons and  the ruffians are
aghast and are scared. They fire at them in panic and nothing happens. Bullets
fly past. One bullet recotiates against a rock and hits chengappa in the
thigh.Hescreams anddropsplumb and faints.Others 
just run away dropping their guns.)

 

Patel. Haa.. Haa.. Bhag gaye
kutte.. Badmaash log. Bada ayya pehalwan banke ( Ran away dogs. Rogues they
are. Came and posing as wrestlers.)

 

Gandhi. We should not have left
those guys so easily and cheaply

 

(In the mean time Chengappa gains
senses andlooks at Gandhi. Gandhi is as usual and no more a skeleton )

 

Chengappa.  Oh Bhai. Plesae forgive me. I did not know
you are so powerful and bhoots too.  Plesae do not kill me. I have children. ( He
tries to get up but fails. His thigh bone is broken, He cries. Eeee…eeee)

 

Patel. This is the  punishment 
for you guys for misbehaving with us. Keep struggling. Any how after
some time  your friends will send some rescue  team for you. Till then keep lying.

 

Chengappa.. aa…aaa…. Eee

 

Nehru. Relax. Bapu shall we go. It
is getting late

 

( Suddenly they turn into
skeletons and do  violent break dance
infront of Chengapa who loses   eyes in
great fear. They shout loudly hua.hua… haa.. haa.. heee.. heee.. wow.woww and
disapera suddenly while Chengappa again faints)

 

 

                                   CURTAIN FALLS

 

 

---------------- Note: Content of this blog post is writer's personal opinion and may not be SanghParivar.org or Sangh's view.