This Saturday, I’ve been asked to speak to a gathering about my book DARE. Now, you’d think I’d strut in with a PowerPoint presentation, a rehearsed TED Talk tone, and the swagger of someone whose book has changed the world. No, I plan to do something far more dangerous. I’m…
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.
Holding Onto Their Chair..!
Every now and then someone tells me with eyes wide and voice reverent, “You know, that national leader is old and still works twelve hours a day!” I nod solemnly, as if they’ve just informed me that said leader is personally holding the Earth’s orbit in place. And then I…
Stop Playing in the Sandpit…!
The ceasefire was announced a few days ago, but looks like we’re still playing in the sandpit of war. Yes, the sandpit, that noisy little patch where toddlers toss sand, build wobbly castles, and fight imaginary wars with plastic shovels. Only difference? Our sandpit has TV studios, hashtags, and anchors…
Disagreement Isn’t Disloyalty…!
The other day I made the mistake of saying I didn’t agree with a certain policy of the government. I should’ve just confessed to treason and asked for a firing squad. You see, in today’s patriotic India, there’s only one kind of citizen allowed—the clapping kind. The kind who applauds…
Blessed Are the Peacemakers…!
As fighter jets roared above and reports of “skirmishes”—because no one wanted to call it a war just yet—filled our newsfeeds, WhatsApp groups, and dinner table conversations, it was easy, almost fashionable, to pick a side. And by “side,” I don’t mean our country. That’s a given—we stand by her,…
From Meows to Mighty Roars…!
Yesterday, as I sat across from an old friend—one of those easy chairs-and-chai sort of friendships that stretch across decades—he dropped a little news bomb between bites of samosa. “She’s pregnant,” he said, smiling. “Who?” I asked. “My daughter.” And just like that, I was no longer chewing on samosa,…
Saying Sorry — And When Not To…!
Was walking past the living room in my daughter’s house when I heard a sweet voice from my granddaughter’s tablet singing, “If you hurt someone today, say you’re sorry right away!” I nodded approvingly. Yes, good manners. Good values. But do we need to say sorry all the time? And…
Groceries or Unnecessaries…!
So there I was, on a noble mission—to buy a loaf of bread. Simple, humble, unassuming bread. I marched confidently into the grocery store like a soldier on assignment. And then it began. The assault. Not by the store manager or some overenthusiastic salesperson. No, this attack was silent, sophisticated,…
Operation Common Sense..!
Thank God for the retaliatory strikes. Because if they hadn’t happened, I’m quite sure we would’ve seen war break out—not at the borders, but at the local tea stall near your house. Yes, between Sharmaji, who suddenly discovered his inner Chanakya, and Khan saab, who just wanted to buy a…
I’ll Be Back Soon..!
Was speaking last evening to a man whose wife is an army officer, posted somewhere near the treacherous snow-dusted stretches of Kashmir. He looked like a calm man, not the kind you’d expect to betray his emotions—but there, behind his tired smile, sat a pair of eyes that had clearly…
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.