In government circles, there is a new phrase doing the rounds. “No money in the kitty.” Now that is a very strange sentence for a state like Maharashtra. It is a bit like hearing that a five-star hotel has run out of food, or that a sweet shop in Mumbai…
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.
Rescuing a Fighter Pilot…!
Last week a fighter jet crashes into enemy territory. Within hours, plans are drawn, satellites begin peeping like nosy neighbours, aircraft take off, commandos are briefed, and millions of dollars begin to flow like water from a leaking tap nobody wants to fix. All this for one man. One pilot….
Recklessness Required….!
Let me take you to a boxing match! An actual fight. You will notice something strange. The boxer who is losing quite often does something that looks brave but is actually foolish. He swings wildly, goes all in for a knockout, leaves his face wide open, and for a brief…
Easter for our Shaken World..!
Strip a man of everything. Not just clothes, but his dignity. Not just freedom, but his voice. Not just strength, but his very identity. Betray him with a kiss. Deny him with a shrug. Try him with lies. Sentence him with convenience. Whip him till flesh hangs loose. Press thorns…
No Second Best for God..!
Quite often I tune in to a preacher from Bangalore, one Rev Johnson.V. whose sermons are so sharp, so engaging and brilliant, that I find myself sitting up a little straighter, as if he can somehow see me through the screen and disapprove of my slouch. His words flow with…
Recognising A Good Man..!
It is Good Friday, and once again my mind wanders to that hill outside Jerusalem where three crosses stood like a grim exhibition of human judgement. On the middle cross hung Jesus, declared innocent by the very authority that sentenced Him. On either side were two thieves, properly labelled, properly…
When Speakers Stop Speaking..!
The other day I attended a talk at a sporting location, where the speaker, a very famous author, whose books I have read, talked. Mind you, not ‘spoke’. Talked. Words flew out of his aged mouth from a voice that was powerful and resonant. Unfortunately, it was not a speech….
Between Two Thieves..!
As Good Friday approaches, there’s one picture that quietly settles into the mind: Three crosses on a hill. One in the centre. Two on either side. And in the middle, a man who had done nothing wrong, placed between two who had. Now pause there. Because that picture is not…
Unprofessional Professionals..!
Strange contradiction, right? How can you be both unprofessional and a professional? It sounds like saying you are a vegetarian who eats chicken on weekends. Yet, they come in all shapes, sizes and job descriptions. Take the politician. Elected to serve, but serves only himself. His speeches; full of promises,…
Slow Down Your Fingers..!
I have discovered a new species of human being. The Forwarding Genius. He wakes up in the morning, brushes his teeth with one hand, and forwards messages with the other. By the time he has had his first cup of tea, he has already solved world peace, exposed three political…
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.