A team invited me to visit a prison in Mumbai. What I saw that day as I sat with the prisoners was a sense of sadness. I had expected tough gangsters to be strutting around ready to pounce on me and hold me hostage, but instead, all over were men…
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.
Good Enough To Vote, but..!
As state governments in India pass laws on religious conversion, and political leaders create disharmony by talking about allurement and inducement in changing religions, a poor man who had converted from the religion of his forefathers to that of a so called foreign god, stood in front of a judge…
Your Situation Will Change..!
Times will change my friend, and thoughts expressed here today are written for you and you alone. Whatever you are going through now, that situation will change!” These are words of comfort I need to share. Four words, you should engrave upon mind and soul and never, ever forget. Whatever,…
There’s Gold At Your Feet..!
My father was a good, honest man with brilliant plans and ideas, but a poor businessman. Maybe there are some people who shouldn’t get into business, and he was one of them, but he always felt it was the city he was doing business in that had to blame for…
Be A Window Opener-Wallah..!
“Window Opener-Wallah?” you shout across to me, “What exactly do you mean?” “Ah well,” I say, “What happens when you open your windows in the morning after getting up from bed?” “I let the sunshine in!” you say, looking at me hesitantly. “Right! In one movement of the opening, you…
Surgical Slicing or Healthy Healing..!
A few years ago, I was saddened on seeing my huge German-Shepherd dog, whimpering in pain. His ear had got infected, so with cotton swab, antiseptic cream and warm water in plastic mug, I slowly and laboriously started cleaning it, holding his head lovingly against me, before putting soothing medication,…
Walk Home and Think..!
As I see people talking about ‘targeting a youngster’ and ‘vindictive government’ I wonder who takes the blame when a boy or girl, maybe a young man or woman, does something wrong? Something, that saddens me often are parents not taking the blame for the deeds of their children. My…
Drugs, Actors and Sons..!
“That’s my cousin!” whispered my friend, as we looked at a bedraggled, shabby, girl, hair matted and unkempt, looking at us with haggard eyes, in one of the bye-lanes in the city. He went up to her, but when he offered her a meal instead of money, which was certainly…
Simple Joys with Deep Meaning..!
He was staring at his phone, as I sat next to him on the bench in the park, “Terrible!” he exclaimed. “What is?” I asked, staring at his distraught face. “I put up a new picture of myself on Facebook, and no one’s commented, not even one like! My day…
Shake Hands or Give Paw..!
“Shake hands!” people tell my dog while bending over to pet it, “Shake hands!” they shout as my huge fellow looks blankly at them. “Doesn’t your dog know to shake hands?” they ask looking disgustedly at me. “No!” I tell them. “But all dogs shake hands!” “Why should he, when…
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.