The bearded headman and his fat bald assistant looked at each other worried, “I have to travel to other rich villages and hug their chieftains!” said the bearded headman, “and hopefully they will not ask about troubles we are having here!” “Hug them more closely, when it comes to delicate…
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.
Partying, Prayers and His Presence..!
Something that happens with increasing frequency in a party where everybody is on the floor, swirling and moving passionately to good music under the expert guidance of a professional emcee is the host turning to me and saying, “Bob, will you please pray!” I, also am into the music and…
Escaping the IT, ED and Police..!
Second, to my love of writing is that of public speaking, and I was quite happy when the Madras Rotary which is supposedly the oldest club in India, offered to fly me down to Chennai to address them. “What would you like to speak on?” they asked politely, and I…
Don’t Keep Sally..!
It was a video clip of a lion, most probably an escapee from a zoo walking freely on a city bridge! The person shooting the video, had even rolled his glass down to get a closer shot, obviously excited that he had a forward that would go viral, but in…
The Maturity of Faith..!
Yesterday, at lunch I met a young lady from Manipur, and in her eyes saw sadness, “They have decided to kill each other till they finish each other!” she told me, and there was sorrow in her voice. Yes, we know who she was talking about; two tribes who believed…
When You Hear Thunder..!
A few years ago I was talking to my daughter, a student of psychology in Seattle, USA, when through the phone, I heard thunder in her room. It was loud and terrible, and knowing she was many miles away also made me wish I was there with her. “Are you…
Fire in the Engine..!
“What is it?” asks the pilot, as the airhostess enters the cockpit. “Sir, a passenger has reported that he saw a flame of fire spurt out from the starboard engine!” “Nonsense!” says the bearded pilot, “Come here, just look at all the instruments, none of them report anything amiss! Ask…
The Man at The Well..!
This happened two thousand years ago when a Man rested at a well. A woman walked wearily to the same well outside the city. Her body ached and her mind cried out for peace. Her man had taunted her again this morning: “Five husbands woman and you want me to…
Spending Precious Dollars..!
“How many bottles did you bring back?” “Bottles?” I ask. “Booze Bob, booze! Didn’t you just return from Turkey? Do you know how much cheaper it is in Duty Free?” “No,” I tell them, “I didn’t bring back any bottles! But I did spend most of my precious dollars!” Yes…
Of Raincoats and Umbrellas..!
Not getting too many invitations to go out, I was pleasantly surprised to get one for dinner and decided I’d need a good umbrella as the monsoons were quite relentless. I decided to go over to the umbrella store and choose a good sturdy one to beat the monsoons. I…
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.