INTO THE PADTVWITH PAIN.. 322

INTO THE PAST WITH PAIN ….322

                                                                 Dr K Prabhakar Rao

 Gandhi, patel and Nehru  are seen sitting  on Tank bundat Hyderabad  on a long old model Cast Iron  sofa facing the lake… The water  appears to be fresh although  filthy smell is noticed.

Gandhi. This s lake must be very old.

Patel. Yes Bapu. This is vey old, built  during  the rule of kutub shahi kings of Golconda. It is surprising it has survived so long.

Gandhi, Where lake will go. People need it. So it has stayed. But I am sure  it is  not same today.

Patel. True Bapu.  Every where land prices have gone up very high and people  are craving for every inch of land.People are   migrating to cities from villages as agriculture has failed of late, 

Bapu. True. There is no employment opportunity in villages. All industries are  at cities. So people migrate to cities.

Patel. How sad.  Our people  neglected your  vision of village industries in India. 

Bapu. More over ,the society has been  badly corrupted. What we can do.

Patel. You wanted congress to be disbanded . But your most favourite Nehru did not listen. He wanted power at all costs.

Gandhi. Why say these things now? Did you not  take up deputy PM post ? Why you  have not stayed out of cabinet?

Patel. It was a mistake no doubt. But we were discussing about the lake.

Gandhi. Yeah.This lake survived because  during the rule of   past kings  and  sultans like Nizams, people could not play mischief. King  had  the absolute power. No one dared to occupy lands clandestinely or by  fraud. He would have been sent to gallows.

Patel. True Bapu. Some discipline was there although freedom was not there and it was an autocratic rule. But was better I am sure.

Gandhi. Say  in low tone. Some guys may listen and tell police.

Patel. Let them. What they can do? We are dead already. They can not get a rupee from us.

Gandhi. We have deviated from topic. Lake survival we were discussing.

Patel. Yes Bapu. After we got freedom , it has become free for all. All useless guys  have become leaders. Cheats, Thugs, criminals , goondas, Gangsters, land grabbers,  fake educationalists  and rapists are the leaders now and are wielding  power.

Gandhi. I learnt that only such guys get party  tickets.Haa..ha…

Patel. But you thought all will be good guys ruling this land. To day if you stand in elections  you will loose deposit. No party will give ticket to you. You cannot   bribe the party chief as you  have no money. Haa..haaa. 

Gandhi. I never thought so. I  knew  there will be  trouble in the land. If wanted, I would have  become the top man.

Patel . Then you would have not become Mahatma. Bapu. We were discussing the lake.

Gandhi. Some how  my sixth sense  tells me that this lake will be swallowed  soon. 

Patel. I also feel same. Already lot of lake land has been swallowed by slums,  and land grabbers who built  buildings .

Nehru. Patel. Do you know that there many lakes with in city limits and around.

Patel. Yes. I know. 

Nehru. How many have been encroached up on.?

Patel . All most all lakes have been encroached up on. 

Nehru. That means all governments were party to these illegal activities.

Gandhi. These are vote bank politics. Once  land is illegally occupied, local leaders emerge in vote bank politics. If you go around Hyderabad, all illegat colonies are getting legalized by paying money to municipal corporation. 

Patel. That means thief  becomes a  kotwal  one day.

Gandhi. Haaa..haaa. Heee… heee

Patel. Ho..hoo..howww.

Nehru. What is there to laugh so big?

Patel. All reasons are there to laugh .  We  gave freedom thinking  that rama raj will emerge. But Ravan rajya has emerged. You guys know Indira Gandhi imposed emergency in the country as she wanted to continue as PM eternally.

Nehru. Why bring her into discussion?

Patel. Oh I forgot that she was your daughter. You are getting upset.

Gandhi. No one should get upset when facts are discussed.

 Nehru. Bapu. Now things are getting personal . I want to go away.

Patel. Please  do not  run. You are escapist

Gandhi. Patel, Please leave him.  Let us stop discussion as Nehru  is getting upset. 

Patel. Bapu, As usual, you have yielded to Nehru sahib  . Before we got freedom, you yielded to  him and we are in thick soup now.

Gandhi . No one can change destiny. If India has to become Islamic state one day, who can stop it? No one.

Patel. Bapu. You  have not changed even after so many years after your martyrdom.Just too bad.

Gandhi. Relax guys. Let us go..

( The trio  walks away slowly as the dirty smell of the lake  follows them )