Characters-
Mother India(MI)
Young Bhagat
Young lad
Bhagat singh
Jatin das
Other jail inmates
people
officer
client
child
mother
riot parties
Scene-1:
(A young girl moves) I am Mother India
Poets call me
Dispenser of India’s Destiny
Ruling minds of so many
My name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh,
Gujarat and Maratha
Of the Dravida and Orissa and Bengal;
where years ago martyrs had called
Slogans of my freedom
When many hearts beat with one rhythm
Yes I remember….
The young boy who promised-
Young Bhagat (Jallianwalla bagh massacre scene, screams and people running all around, firing sounds and last wails of women men and children fill the air-next scene shows dead bodies and silence everywhere- a young boy standing amidst all this)- these bullets are not guilty, they must be guided….so that they can pierce those hearts which are so full of unjustified hatred against innocent lives.
MI- His oath he kept
Until his last breath
But what do I see today?
(Modern India- a huge crowd with candles and posters marching near the India Gate, Delhi. Slogans of “Nirbhaya we won’t forget”, “Enough”, etc. thundered everywhere. A youngster standing amidst them shouts the slogan first)-TREAT WOMEN AS HUMAN NOT OBJECTS(suddenly moves a bit away from the crowd and makes a call)-Yaar, Delhi ki sari khubsurti utar aayi h yaha pe! Aa jaa tu bhi maza le le
MI- so that’s all
Determination touching the skies
But its life lesser than a fly’s
There are candles and fake fires
There are promises uttered by liars
The banners shout loud for a change
Which look so similar; as if nothing ever changed
True! A day of mourning, some shower of tears
And the crime repeats- Alas! no end of fears.
SCENE-II:
Who knows what the future holds (stands outside an office)
Officer- Sir, your papers would be passed but I give you two options- whether you want your property papers ready within the next 48 hours or are you okay if it takes some time
Client- Obviously, the first one mister.
Officer- sir then its-you know-I mean- a tedious task…and I will try my best. But…you have to co-operate too.
Client(slips some new notes of thousand out of his pocket)- Whatever be your tediousness- I want this done as soon as possible
Officer(grins stupidly at the notes)-certainly sir, surely.
MI-here comes a day when all that matters to everyone is just themselves(remembers another past incident. In a dark cell of the Lahore jail lighted by a small earthen lamp. A man lays dying surrounded by his companions)
Bhagat singh- You will die brother Jatin
Jatin(pants)-My wonderful fate brother. That I died serving mother…..Sadly, I can’t do much except spitting out this jail food when they forced me…(shocked)is it tears I see?
Bhagat(quickly in a shaky voice)-No,Jatin –its nothing
Jatin-…now, its just you all…..left to…..fulfill our dream….of seeing the coming generation breathing in….air of a free India….Jai….hin-(head rolls over to one side and the lamp extinguishes suddenly. A darkness prevails everywhere full of muffled sobbing sounds)
MI-Someone died to let these people breathe the free air
And today they are just busy to snatch their share
SCENE-III:
What’s this?
This music-oh, it’s the day of my rebirth! When I got new colors of saffron white and green
(Independence day-Patriotic songs being played everywhere, fancy dress parties at schools-children dressed as famous freedom-fighters)
MI(Mutters to herself)-Will they indeed become that great
Or are these are fake as the fancy dress
Oh, now its me doubting the kids
Can’t help but; have lost all my faith
(she remembers the scenario years ago when it was the first independence day. What she had seen in a small cottage in a narrow lane. A young boy sits drawing something in a corner)
Child- Look Aai, I drew the tricolor
Aai - oh its beautiful, just like the real one
Child-Baba said we cannot buy the real big one. So I drew one (smiles)
Aai- The real big one is also just three linens stitched together dear….what makes it real is you.Your courage and respect that protects and bows before it. Come here(she places the boy’s flag on a high shelf) Now, promise you will always make her proud
Child(jumps happily and salute)-Bande Mattalam
MI(in present)- The false flag stood high for years
As ‘twas worshipped with the
Dedication that lies in hearts
And not merely in empty words
(She looks around in despair at the little flags covering the streets and is hurt as everyone go back to their daily routines-forgetting, stepping and driving over them. The final destination of the tricolor is the dustbin).
But now in this celebration of 24 hours
Patriots are born and die the same day
My head in disappointment lowers
Watching this generation everyday
MI(Remembering a riot of two different religious parties she saw yesterday- scene of the riot played behind)-
Today they unite,To stand
against each other
courage and pride still the bullets
but they hurt their brothers
the light has gone out of these lives
peace is won by the sharper knives
but where all this selfishness leads?
In return of the ancestral sacrifice
What comes is just your wild greed?
Unjustified-cuz’ they paid a high price
Believing sad deaths will bring merrier births
And today even loyalty is in dearth
A tide of change is needed
The dizzy pride in these minds must be woken up
A change of tide is needed
From petty avarice to higher chauvinism
I’m waiting for another light to save the
Swarajya
The masses are lost again-I’m waiting for the
Mahatma
(THE END)