The nervous politician hastily drew the curtains in his house, and looked out furtively through a small opening in the folds, “What’s happening husband?” asked his troubled wife, running to the window, and nearly drawing the curtains open, “Are there assassins outside? Murderers who want to get your blood?” “Don’t…
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.
Glib Talkers..!
It was at my cousin’s office years ago that I met him. He was, according to my cousin, a star salesman, “Hear him Bob,” said my cousin, “He has the gift of the gab!” Which meant he could talk fast and easily as words came out of his mouth faster…
Put Your Load Down..!
As a little boy, I used to wonder about some tall stone platforms that looked like ancient Druid structures just next to a railway crossing we had to pass, and had asked my dad what they were. “They are platforms built years ago for villagers coming into the city to…
Using Showpieces for Funds..!
She was pathetically thin. The jeans she wore faded, cast offs maybe, the top cheap printed kurta also from an orphanage pool basket. She stood against the other well- dressed children on the stage, a contrast really. She was blind. The spotlight was focused on her, and the audience wiped…
Such Simple Solutions..!
Life’s problems aren’t as complicated as we make them out to be. Most have very simple solutions: A large truck attempting to go through a railway underpass found itself stuck between the road and the girders above. The emergency crew sent out by the truck owners tried without success to…
The Fragrance Still Remains..!
It was just the other day I was really enjoying the morning, looking at the different greens, imbibing the monsoon smells of rain filled earth, when the gardener beckoned me, and handed a flower which had the most exquisite smell. I kept it with me and continued enjoying the fragrance….
The Beginning of Wisdom..!
As a schoolboy, I loved our morning school assembly because there was always a hymn to be sung and I loved singing, but as I sat and looked up, the words printed in elegant old fashioned script just above the stage, held my attention, “The Fear of the Lord,” it…
You and Your Blanket..!
A few years ago while doing a project, I’d visited dozens of homes for the aged, and found how aged parents were packed off there, quite often so the family could take over and occupy the bedroom, sometimes just a balcony they’d occupied in their twilight years. “Come and stay…
Quotations and Butter Chicken..!
The watchman at the door gave me a smart salute and handed me a piece of paper to sign. ‘There is a managing committee meeting in the society office sir,’ he said. ‘What’s the emergency?’ I asked. ‘We have to choose a painting contractor, said the chairman, ‘to paint our buildings….
Love or Hate, You Decide…!
Say what you want, but I feel there’s something that’s slowly making an impact on India, one that is making the ruling party afraid, and that is love! Yes, Rahul Gandhi, instead of returning bitter speech with anger, is using the greatest tool man can ever use, love: Hugging the…
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.