The first time I saw a bulldozer, it was an awe-inspiring sight. A giant machine, powerful and imposing, tearing through mounds of earth with a mechanical efficiency that seemed almost hypnotic. It was a thing of purpose—used to build roads, clear debris, and shape landscapes. But lately, the bulldozer has…
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.
A Judge, a Fire and a Storeroom of Cash… !
It must have been quite a fire. Not the kind that crackles merrily in a fireplace while you sip hot cocoa, or the one that children dance around on a crisp winter night. No, this was the kind of fire that doesn’t just burn wood or paper—it burns illusions. The…
Privatisation: A Tragic Trick..!
For a small amount you can travel all around the New York subway, and even use the same ticket for the connecting bus! Because public utilities are meant to serve you – government investments to help you work efficiently, make more money and pay some back to the city as…
One Day is a Lifetime Too Late..!
Justice B.R. Gavai, standing before the people of Manipur yesterday, spoke with the reassuring tone of a Supreme Court judge, “Have faith in our Constitution. The Constitution will ensure peace returns fully to Manipur one day.” Ah, the dreamlike quality of those words: One day! Not soon, not tomorrow, not next…
How to Become Tall..!
There was a friend of mine who was a good five-foot-nothing. A man with a Napoleon complex, always standing on tiptoes in photographs, buying elevator shoes, and stretching his neck like a giraffe hoping to look taller. “Why don’t you just stand next to shorter people?” I suggested helpfully. “There’s…
Say It When They’re Alive..!
It was old Mr. Vikram’s birthday and he was missing. Ria, his daughter searched their modest apartment, and even glanced down at the compound where the housing society members often gathered. But he was nowhere to be found. Then she remembered. Of course. The cemetery down the road. She walked…
Just a Game of Chess..!
To a few top world leaders, the world seems to have transformed into a giant chessboard. With a calculated move here and a strategic gambit there, they shuffle their pieces, believing they are masters of the game. One chessboard they play on is the international arena, while the other is…
Build Bridges, Not Bonfires..!
“Did you hear? They’ve brought out a movie about Aurangzeb’s brutality!” cried my neighbour, his eyes widening with excitement, as though the Mughal emperor was about to storm into our apartment complex. “Oh wonderful,” I muttered, “just what we need, another reason for people to glare suspiciously at each other…
My Laptop, The Columnist…!
People say machines will take over the world someday. Well, if my laptop’s behavior is anything to go by, we have nothing to fear. Here’s how silly that sounds: “Writers say their pen writes their articles,” I muttered. “How ridiculous! A pen is just a tool! It doesn’t think, it…
Blue Skies and Cataracts..!
“Are you worried about tomorrow’s cataract surgery?” asked my daughter yesterday, her voice a curious blend of concern and curiosity. “Not really,” I chuckled. “Why not?” she pressed. “Well,” I grinned, “one, because your mother is a doctor, and I’m leaving everything in her capable hands. And two, because I’m…
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.