The headline that day screamed across the newspaper and smacked me harder than any police lathi ever could: “Inspector Tukaram Kurundkar had been awarded the President’s Medal.” A fine achievement, you’d say—until you read the fine print. The man was under suspension. For murder. Not of a stranger in an…
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.
Strengthen Them or Watch Them Crumble..!
It’s becoming an almost daily occurrence now—the news of another young person, full of potential, choosing to end their life. Not long ago, I sat across from a friend of mine, a respected psychiatrist, and asked him, “Why is this happening so often?” “Bob,” he said, “when we were growing…
Is Your Life Worth Keeping?
The Reader’s Digest had a story that’s stayed on my mind. Not because it was dramatic, or tear-jerking, or filled with grand revelations, but because it was simple, painfully true, and quietly powerful. It was about a man who was tired of his job. Tired of the routine, the pressure, the monotony….
If Jesus Hadn’t Risen…!
Imagine the scene: A dusty Jerusalem morning, the day after the crucifixion. The city, still buzzing from the spectacle of the execution, moves on. The Roman soldiers, having played their part, head back to their barracks with a few extra coins in their pockets. The Pharisees, smug in their victory,…
Playing With the Constitution..!
Ah, there they go again—the Supreme Court wagging its finger like a stern headmaster at a bunch of unruly students called Parliament. You’d think our honourable elected representatives would by now have graduated from learning the laws. They’re supposed to be called the guardians of the law, right? But no….
When Angels Laughed and Devils Cried..!
They say there’s something different in the air every Good Friday. The sun dims a little more than usual, the birds go quieter than normal, and even the wind, that old gossip, hushes itself—perhaps remembering something it whispered about over two thousand years ago. Because on that first Good Friday,…
Not Recognising the Wolf..!
I once had a friend—charming fellow, always first to raise a toast and last to leave the room. The kind who knew just what to say, when to say it, and whom to say it in front of. Everyone liked him. So when someone leaned over one day and said,…
Why Wash Feet, Touch Them…!
In Indian culture, touching the feet of elders or respected figures is a gesture of reverence. But there’s something far deeper than tradition in that act—it is the outward sign of an inward humility. A posture of heart, not just of body. And perhaps that is why it is so…
Film Extras..!
Many years ago, a friend of mine—a film buff to the core—told me something curious over a shared samosa and a matinee show. “I don’t watch the stars,” he said, eyes fixed on the screen. “I watch the extras.” “The extras?” I asked. “Yes. Especially the dancers in the background….
Motormouth and the Judges..!
Ah yes, our very own Motormouth—what would television do without him? Or perhaps a better question—what would the nation not hear without him? Silence, maybe. A bit of peace. Possibly a complete sentence! Every day, he pops out of his studio like a jack-in-the-box wound too tight, and lets loose….
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.