The minister leaned back in his oversized chair, lifted his cup of tea and smiled. A terrified official burst into the room. “Sir, another bridge has developed dangerous cracks.” The minister took a leisurely sip. “So?” “People are furious, Sir.” “So?” “They’re asking who is responsible.” The minister laughed. “Responsible?…
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 Missing Link..!
As the US celebrated it’s 250 years of Independence, I watched dramatic pictures of fireworks accidentally setting parts of the 143 year old Brooklyn Bridge ablaze. For a few anxious moments it looked frightening, but the fire was quickly brought under control and, thankfully, the bridge itself suffered no structural…
Mumbai Floods..!
Luckily, at this very moment, I am thousands of miles away from Mumbai, watching videos of roads that have turned into rivers, cars bobbing about like reluctant boats and commuters wading through water with expressions that suggest they have finally accepted that fish have better transport facilities than humans. I…
The Bench in the Woods..!
There is a little wooden bench in the woods where I am staying in the Pocono Mountains. Nothing fancy about it. No brass plaque announcing that George Washington once sat there. No sign proclaiming it to be a heritage monument. Just an ordinary bench beneath towering trees that have probably…
Not Burnt by the Fire..!
Whenever life gets difficult, I have a wonderful plan for God. I present it to Him in great detail. “Lord,” I say, “here’s what You need to do. Remove this problem immediately. Eliminate this irritating person. Heal this sickness by lunchtime. Deposit a small miracle into my bank account before…
The Voiceless Minority..!
When I talk about minorities in India, everybody from the majority community checks to see what I have said, but, today I am going to surprise everybody. I have finally discovered the smallest minority in India, and many from the majority community are in that minority one.. No, not one…
Cars with Legs..!
I am writing this from my daughter’s villa, her second home, tucked away in the woods of the Pocono Mountains in the United States. It is so peaceful here that I do believe, if a squirrel sneezes, three deer stop grazing and look up suspiciously. The roads are spotless. The…
When Day is Night..!
International airlines have perfected the art of fooling passengers, and we happily cooperate. The first thing they do after take-off is ask you to pull down your window shades. Outside, the sun is blazing away. Inside, they create midnight. Hundreds of passengers obediently shut out broad daylight without the slightest…
Bullied by the Bully..!
I remember a boy in school who strutted around like he owned the playground. He pinched smaller boys, hid their tiffin boxes, pushed them off the swings and generally behaved like the uncrowned king of the place. Then one day a giant of a boy from another school landed up…
God and the Little Men..!
Every morning I follow a simple routine that has quietly changed my life. Before I allow the world to speak to me, I allow God to do so. I spend time reading the Holy Scriptures and only after that do I unfold the morning newspapers. It was not always this…
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.