INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN…LXXXIX                                          Dr K Prabhakar Rao 

(Gandhi, Nehru and Patel are seen at a roadside tea stall near Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad. The business is brisk and polythene  cups are thrown everywhere. Some stray dogs are seen licking the empty cups.Gandhi gets irked up at the sight. But he is helpless.)

 

Gandhi. Look Patel. What type of people are these characters? They  drink tea in these plastic cups and throw them on the street. They are making the area very dirty.They areshitin fact

 

Patel. Bapu. Say in low tone. This is India. You gave them freedom 60 years ago to do whatever they like. Freedom  means free for all as per India’s definition.

 

Gandhi. I am much upset at things. Even a dog cleans the area before it sleeps. Even after  passing  stools it would rub its ass against ground cleans itself. These guys are worst than them.  

 

Patel. Bapu. Say slowly. Even walls have ears

 

Gandhi. I am not scared. Truth has to be told. By the by what is happening in this building? Why should I be scared? I fought the English men with bare chest ( sings doing jig)

 

I am the Gandhi with bare chest

And I never wear any vest

English men could not do any thing to me

I shall reform these guys whatever it might be

 

Patel. Hear ..hear. That is good Bapu.

 

( In the mean time loud shouts are heard. People are seen shouting Jai Telangana..Jai Jai Telangana… Jo hame takrayega who mitti me miljayega…Hoo……hooo)

 

Gandhi. What is the commotion in the building?

 

Nehru. Last night, central government has declared that it has  constituted a committee to study the situation in Andhra Pradesh

 

Gandhi. Does it say that the committee is to  study how to bifurcate AP state?

 

Patel. No . It  does not say anything.

 

Gandhi. Then what  does it say?

 

Patel. It states that the committee would speak to all sections of people in the state and record their findings

 

Gandhi. All sections means what?

 

Patel They will speak to Andhrites, Telanganites, Seemites, Muslims, Old city wallahs, Road side hawkers,  Shop owners, Taxiwallahs, Autowallahs,  Students, Teachers, Professors.. ohfo to all

 

Gandhi. How about  barbers, washer men, rickshaw pullers, Bullock cart drivers, mungphylly street vendors. Chikki sellers, Biscuitwalahs, Knife grinders, vegetable  vendors, Fruit vendors, beggars ,pimps and prostitutes?

 

Nehru. How about Hizras? They are  also part of  society.

 

( In the mean time some Hizras arrive from somewhere and go near Bapu . They clap and  make gestures at them)

 

Hizra Sakina. Haye. Mere.. Marjawa… Haye. Aawona;; aah..

 

Bapu. Chee…cheee. What is this? Patel Save me from these  men or  women . What should I call?

 

Patel. Bapu. They are Indians. You gave freedom to them too. They are part of society.  Kindly bear with them.  Some day one of them may become PM too.

 

Gandhi.  Ohfo.. Why not? All are equal  before constitution.

 

Hijra Sakina. Haye.. Kya Baat Hai… Kahaa jayega mujhe chodkar.. Tadapraheen hun mai… Mere Saajan.. aaahh… Ab Rahna Jayega.. Dekho kaisa  mera dil dhak dhak kar raha hai.. Haye…

 

Gandhi. Jawahar;al  Mujhe Bachalo

 

Nehru. Bapu. What can I do? They are after you and are much impressed too. ( looking at Hijras) look Sakina. Mere Amma. Leave this old man. Yeh Kuch kamahka naheen. Find some one else.

 

Sakina. Ye baat hai. What is the use of milking a drycow? How about you?

 

Nehru. Oh No. Not me. My hoo Buddha.

 

( The Hijras go away clapping, not before hugging Gandhi and making gestures at Nehru)

 

Patel. Bapu.  We   side tracked. The committee guys  have to speak to rowdy sheeters, pehilwans, dadas, thugs on bail, those in jails too. They are part of society. In fact they are important.  They play great part in elections Do you know Bihari leader lalu yadav  recently declared that he would give ticket to any one who goes to jail?

 

Gandhi. I know that.

 

Nehru. Bapu. The statement does not list out the categories  with whom they will interact.

 

Gandhi. This is very crude way of approaching the problem.

 

Pate. Hee…heee. The committee may be given time for 6 to 12 months

 

Gandhi. That means they will have nice time at government cost for so many months.

 

Patel. He..heee… Haaa.

 

Gandhi.. haaa..haaaaaa. Good joke on people. The committee will spend crores of public money and probably will  come out blank.

 

Patel. Bapu. Listen. This is a crude joke on people of Telangana. The people have been fooled. ( sings and does jig)

 

Poor  people of Telangana are taken for a ugly camel  ride

The leaders in center proved they have very thick hide

People  have been fooled to the core

The wounds in their hearts have become very sore

 

The sacrifices of students are down the  dirty Musi river waters  that flow

Sparkles in the Telanganites will probably never glow

The committee would soon     fool these guys

And the promises at center are surely lies

 

( People listening to Patel also do jig and clap loudly.  In the mean time some people  rush out of the building followed by  few men who are seen to be furious. The police personnel present at the site suddenly become active and reach the crowd. They try to reduce the gathering)

 

Inspector. Come on guys. Move out from this place. This is getting crowdy.

 

Patel. We are not doing any thing. We are just listening and watching things.

 

Inspector. No arguments. We are final guys.  All should listen to us.

 

Patel. Hee…heee

 

Inspector. What is there to laugh?

 

Patel. There is nothing.

 

IOnspector. Am I looking like a buffoon?

 

Patel. I did not say that.

 

Inspector. Then why you are laughing? Better behave. You are speaking to Andhra Police.

 

Patel. So you are not Andhra Pradesh Police.

 

Inspector. ( scratches head and  appears confused)

 

Patel. Oh Bhai. Jara thanda  dimakh ka istemal karo ( Oh brother please use your cool head).  You guys  should not become tools in the hands of these politicians and crooks. In fact you guys should  discipline those guys  who chased some people from the building, not we sipping tea at tea stall.

 

( Inspector scratches  his head removing his cap)

 

Inspector. I think what you said is true.

 

Patel. I always tell truth.

 

Inspector. In that case I shall show what I am  to these guys.

 

( Inspector orders police men to catch hold of the guys  who came  chasing some from the building. Soon such guys are rounded up)

 

Inspector. Who are you? Why are you chasing  some people?

 

( There are some  leaders in the  guys  who were caught by police)

 

 Leader Enkanna . I am Enkanna yadav ,  of  dongala puram constituency   Why you have detained me? Don’t you know me? How dare?

 

Inspector. I know only law. I do not recognize you. Not required too. Why are you involved in violence and unruly behavior?

 

(  The leader gets shock of his life)

 

 Leader Enkanna. Are you speaking through your hat? Don’t you want to serve police force?  I shall see.

 

Inspector. What you shall see. See now. I am in front of you.  Bewakoof  kainka. Boltha hai Dekhloonga. Kya Dekhlega. Mera sar.. Uloo kainka

 

( the leader  gets upset . but he is helpless and the police constables push him into a van along with some other guys. They are taken away soon)

 

Gandhi. Patel. This inspector was much influenced by your talk. Appears to be a good guy.

 

Patel. But Bapu. Such guys can not last long. Son he will be   shown the gate by the police senior officers.

 

Gandhi. Over my dead body. I shall fight for him.

 

Patel. How?

 

Gandhi. Patel. By the by what was the problem in the building?

Patel. Bapu. Inside the building there was a discussion over the  committee and  its purpose. All the rebel leaders were there. The hard core guys rejected the committee and asked all the leaders to resign in protest

 

Gandhi. Now I understand . Many guys  do not want to resign. It is hard earned seat. They spent crores of rupees to win and not yet made money through various grants. If they resign they shall loose every thing.

 

Patel. If the leaders from opposition parties resign what will happen/ Nothing will happen to the state government. They want congress leaders from Telangana to resign.

 

Nehru. That they will never do except one or two.

 

Patel. They know well that if they resign  they will never get party ticket next time.

 

Nehru. Hee..heee. A bunch of selfish men  masquerading as  patriots.

 

Patel. Jawaharal. Finally you came with truth.

 

Nehru Look . I always speak truth

 

Patel. Thanks

 

Gandhi. Well done. Then what happened

 

Patel. When the  ruling party leaders from Telangana refused to resign they were kicked out of the building by the hard core guys.

 

Gandhi. Now I understand. Well done guys. The ruling guys  want to take credit  without sacrificing for Telangana. They deserve such action.

 

Patel. Hee.. heee ( sings and does fast jig)

 

These ruling guys  deserved such fate

Such  selfish guys I always hate

They  should be shown the door soon

While Telangana emerges out of moon

 

(The on lookers clap loudly and appreciate the song and congratulate Patel)

 

Gandhi. Look Patel. It is time we leave this place. Soon  some police force would come and do lathi charge or even firing. Better we leave. Soon police guys may use machine  guns or rocket launchers on public. I am afraid one day they will enact Jallianwallah Bagh in Osmania university campus.

 

Nehru. True  Who could be Michael Odayer,  and General Dyer? Bapu. Let us go.

 

Patel. True, You shall know soon. First let us run away from here

 

(The trio sing Ramdhun and  rapidly walk away from the scene)

                                        CURTAIN FALLS

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