For the last few days, I’ve been spending some time at a hospital, with the son of a close friend. And as I saw doctors rushing around, my mind built an imaginary operation that went on behind the OT door: It was a surgery that took a dramatic turn when…
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.
Good Samaritan in his Living Room..!
Old Mr. Sharma had opinions—strong ones. If you asked him the time, he’d tell you who ruined the country first. And if you asked him who, he’d lower his voice, glance around dramatically, and whisper a name—always from the same community. But fate, as they say, has a wicked sense…
Is Barbarism Replacing Craftiness?
It looks like all the much worked at ingredients of a good civilization are being destroyed! There was a time, dear reader, when world leaders shook hands like gentlemen, smiled warmly, and spoke with polished decorum. Of course, they were often plotting each other’s downfall, but how civil they were…
Standing Alone, Yet Never Alone..!
The other day, I found myself in a conversation with an old friend about honesty in business. He insisted that cutting corners, bending the truth a little, and making promises he never intended to keep were just “smart business tactics.” “Everybody does it,” he said with a shrug. “If you…
Newport and Trump Towers..!
Once, while in the USA I’d driven down from New York to Newport, a town, where once the richest had their mansions. Even as I gazed in awe at the size of their imposing castles, when entering, I saw how they made it a point not to showcase their wealth….
Bible-Brandishing-Bullies…!
Ah, the good old Bible! That sacred text filled with wisdom, love, and—wait for it—an arsenal for a few self-proclaimed messengers of God who seem to have mistaken the Good Book for a stick to whack people into submission. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, today’s message is on those cunning folks…
A Partnership Forged in Sweat…!
Something I remember so well in my days as a businessman was that whenever a business challenge arose, my exercising increased, be it jogging or lifting weights! I believed that to achieve my targets or beat the competition I needed to keep myself as fit as a gladiator sparring before…
The Rebellion of the Gadgets…!
The door of my room opened and a tiny pair of feet pattered in. I was writing an article on my laptop, as my two-year-old grandchild popped into the room, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Bobby!” she called out, and oh yes dear folks, I’ve given her full permission to…
Oh Happy Day Tony..!
Some sing a song, some live it. Tony Davids did both. If you ever had the privilege of hearing him sing Oh Happy Day, you would have closed your eyes, felt his voice and the music seep into your soul, and, for a moment, believed you were in heaven itself. But…
Washing or Kissing Feet..!
Last evening, due to unavoidable circumstances I had to attend a political meeting of a top leader in the ruling party. I watched in absolute horrified fascination, as the man literally like a Tarzan in a a comic book, stared disdainfully at the crowd, waved his hands, thumped his chest,…
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.