Every morning we hear some terrible news: Riots somewhere. Corruption somewhere else. Children harmed. Leaders shouting. Wars brewing. Prices rising. Hatred spreading faster than kindness. And after reading all this, almost everybody says the same sentence in despair: “What is happening to our country?” Or even more dramatically: “What is…
Robert Clements is a journalist and newspaper columnist. With an estimated 6 million readership, his column, Bob’s Banter is published in over 30 newspapers and magazines in nearly every state in India, as well as in the top newspapers of Bangladesh, London and Dubai and is also translated into Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
The Great Indian Plastic Container Mystery..!
“Where are the lids?” That was the scream that came from our kitchen one Sunday morning. A scream every Indian family knows very well. The scream of somebody trying to find the correct lid for a plastic container. I walked in bravely to help. Big mistake. Because what followed was…
Empty Your Garbage..!
The statement by a simple, good man who is a friend of mine, caught me by surprise, “All the problems in West Bengal is because of a particular community!” In my writing class I tell my students something that surprises many of them. Before learning grammar, style, structure, or vocabulary,…
The Anger of Defeat..!
Many of us grew up hearing a sentence repeated by parents, teachers, coaches and even old uncles sitting with cups of tea after a cricket match. “Learn to lose gracefully.” We were told that being a good loser was as important as being a good winner. Shake hands. Smile. Accept…
The Slow Death of Enterprise…!
“Anything free this election?” a fictitious friend asks me, leaning forward with the eagerness of a man about to win a lucky draw. “Quite a bit,” I tell him. “In fact, so much that you may soon wonder why anyone ever thought of working.” He nods thoughtfully. Because that is…
The Great Election Religion Tamasha…!
“Who are you voting for?” he asked me with great seriousness, as though the future of the nation rested delicately between his teacup and my answer. “I was thinking,” I said, “of voting for whoever will stop the unnecessary concretising down my road.” He looked at me with pity. Not…
Choosing Another Faith..!
The moment a son or daughter says they are marrying someone from another faith, homes that once echoed with laughter suddenly sound like courtrooms. Charges are framed. Judgments are passed. And somewhere between anger and fear, we reach for our favourite accusation. Love- jihad. Forced conversion. Brainwashing. It is dramatic….
Is Your Captain on Board?
Somewhere in a quiet naval harbour, a young naval lieutenant stood tall, chest out, uniform crisp, as he guided a massive ship out into open waters. Every turn was precise, every command by the book. The vessel moved like poetry in motion, slicing through the harbour as though it had…
Forwarded As Received..!
There is a strange sense of duty that has quietly crept into our lives. It does not come from religion, though it feels spiritual. It does not come from law, though it feels binding. It comes from that glowing little screen in our hands, and it whispers a simple command:…
The Onion- Conditioner..!
Union Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia has apparently discovered a revolutionary alternative to air conditioning. A humble onion in his pocket! Now, I must confess, when I first heard this, I felt a deep sense of inadequacy. Here I was, paying electricity bills that arrive like legal notices, adjusting temperature settings with…
Robert Clements is a newspaper columnist and writes a daily column, which has graced the pages of over 60 newspapers and magazines, from a daily column in the Khaleej Times, Dubai, the Morning Star, London, and in nearly every state in India, from The Statesman in Kolkata, to the Kashmir Times in Kashmir to the Trinity Mirror in Chennai.